The paper acknowledges the need for pesticide usage to boost agricultural production and for disease control in Uganda and elsewhere in Africa. But drawing from some instances of pesticide pollution so far reported in Africa, the paper highlights the need for cautious use of the chemicals in order to avoid further pollution.
The need for using pesticides within the framework of integrated pest management (IPM) is presented, but also presented are results of a survey which indicates that quantities of pesticides used continue to increase, and that the attitudes of farmers and extension workers are still heavily weighted in favour of pesticide application alone.
A number of options that could be taken to inculcate IPM ideals and concepts among the people are presented, emphasizing education and training, not only for farmers and extension workers, but also for the youths most of whom are destined to become the future farmers.
