Masindi farmers raise the alarm as counterfeit agro-inputs threaten yields

March 7, 2026 in Business, Land & Agriculture by Editor

Simon Onadra, a large-scale maize farmer in Masindi district wants government to construct more warehouses to enhance better storage for their grain

Farmers in Masindi district have cried out over alleged counterfeit agro-inputs that they say are destroying crops and incomes, prompting calls for tighter regulation and stronger awareness on product standards.

 

By Priscillar Nyamahunge

Farmers in Masindi district have raised concerns over the increasing circulation of suspected counterfeit agro-inputs, warning that fake agricultural chemicals are undermining crop yields and threatening household incomes.

Several farmers say they have suffered significant crop losses despite applying pesticides and herbicides purchased from agro-input vendors, raising questions about the authenticity and effectiveness of the products available in local markets.

Joseph Atiku, a maize farmer from Kyangamwoyo village in Pakanyi sub-county, said he recently lost large portions of his maize fields to fall armyworm despite spraying pestcides he had bought from vendors during weekly market days.

“I bought different chemicals from agro-input vendors during the weekly market days, but nothing worked, yet they would assure me,” Atiku said. “I lost maize which would have fetched me a lot of money to develop myself.”

Atiku’s experience reflects a broader concern among farmers in the area who say counterfeit or substandard agricultural inputs are quietly eroding productivity and profits.

Godwin Ariaka, another farmer in the district, said the problem is worsened by limited awareness among farmers about how to identify genuine products.

“Farmers need to be sensitised to mitigate the possibility of falling for counterfeits because most of them lack the basic knowledge to identify them,” Ariaka said. “These dealers, especially the vendors, need to be regulated. We want to fight household poverty, and we cannot look on when people are making losses due to counterfeits.”

The two farmers represent only a fraction of growers facing similar challenges in the district, where maize production remains one of the key sources of household income.

Concerns about counterfeit goods in agricultural supply chains have drawn attention from regulators, including the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS), which has stepped up awareness efforts aimed at strengthening public understanding of product standards.

During a recent four-day training on standards and metrology organised in Mukono by UNBS in partnership with TradeMark Africa, journalists, editors and digital content creators were equipped with skills to improve reporting on product standards and consumer protection.

The training, funded by UK Aid and facilitated by Ultimate Multimedia Consult, aimed to strengthen media coverage on standards enforcement and consumer awareness across Uganda.

Addressing participants, Daniel Arorwa, Manager for Market Surveillance at UNBS, emphasised the importance of purchasing products from recognised outlets to ensure traceability in case of complaints.

“When you buy products from a certified outlet, it is easier to trace in case anything goes wrong,” Arorwa said. “But if you buy things by the roadside because you have been influenced by low-cost adverts and something wrong happens, even when you come to UNBS and log in your complaint, we shall empathise with you, but not be able to help.”

He urged consumers to prioritise quality over price and to verify whether products carry the UNBS Q-Mark certification, which indicates that they have met national quality standards.

“Buy things of quality. Avoid cheap things because they will cost you in the long run,” he said. “It is also good to know your supplier for easy tracking. Do not just buy from random places, or if you do, check for the Q-Mark certification from UNBS.”

Arorwa added that members of the public should report substandard or counterfeit goods whenever they encounter them, warning that such products undermine trust in the marketplace.

“Substandard and counterfeit goods break public trust,” he said.

However, he also criticised some members of the public for shielding individuals suspected of selling non-compliant products, saying such behaviour undermines enforcement efforts.

“Sometimes you go to the field and others tip off the entrepreneur to hide, forgetting that what they offer on the market will eventually impact the community,” he said. “You hear some people accusing UNBS of targeting businesses of people, yet it is our role to ensure that whatever is on the shelf meets the required standards.”

To deepen understanding of the standards verification process, participants in the training were taken on a guided tour of UNBS laboratories, where they observed how products are tested before certification.

“Each sample is registered into a Laboratory Information Management System and allocated a unique identification number for easy tracking,” explained Duncan Mugume, a sample reception officer at UNBS. “It is then distributed to relevant departments for management. The testing process takes between 10 and 28 working days depending on the product.”

Laboratory experts also highlighted quality challenges that go beyond counterfeit inputs.

Eva Namutebi, deputy head of the chemistry laboratory at UNBS, pointed to aflatoxin contamination in cereals such as maize as one of the most persistent threats facing Ugandan farmers.

Aflatoxins, which are toxic substances produced by certain fungi, can develop during poor storage conditions and pose serious health risks to consumers while also limiting export potential.

“Our farmers need training on how to handle cereals after harvesting,” Namutebi said. “Our grandparents had excellent practices for preserving maize and storing it in granaries. There have been many changes affecting good farming practices, including unpredictable weather.”

She encouraged farmers to improve post-harvest handling and storage techniques, including working with agricultural extension officers and integrating traditional preservation methods with modern approaches.

Storage infrastructure remains another major concern for farmers in Masindi.

Simon Onadra, a large-scale maize producer in Kyangamwoyo village, called on government authorities to expand grain storage facilities at the parish level to help farmers protect their harvests.

“Very few farmers have cribs which can store the maize,” Onadra said. “Some farmers decide to spread the maize on their house floors, yet that affects their moisture content and quality negatively.”

For farmers in Masindi, however, the immediate concern remains the reliability of agricultural inputs.

Without stronger regulation of agro-input dealers and improved farmer awareness, many fear that counterfeit inputs could continue to erode productivity, threatening both food security and rural livelihoods in one of Uganda’s key agricultural districts.