Alodia Angeline Villa January 11, 2017

Allona Reasol

Commercial Flower Farms and the Resulting Environmental Pollution

Consequences in Uganda
Natamba Leo, Zhang Weihua, & Founemakan Sissoko

Introduction
Uganda is a landlocked country in East Africa. Its favorable soil conditions and
climate have contributed to the country's agricultural success. Commercial flower
growing in Uganda is rising wherein most of their proprietors are from foreign countries
leading them to this type of farming characterized by massive use of fertilisers and other
agricultural chemicals specifically pesticides. Commercial flower growing has made
tremendous contribution to the economy of Uganda. However, an ironic fact here is that
Africans and Ugandans in particular did not cherish flowers like Europeans and other
western traditions did. With western culture taking a center stage, some Ugandans now
are using flowers in celebrating major events. Thus has therefore shifted the whole
status quo.
Most commercial flower farms in Uganda occupy a relatively big piece of lands
and production is majorly done in Indoor System. All commercial flower farms use a
range of agricultural chemicals raging from inorganic fertilisers to pesticides. The main
objective is to find out the pesticides and fertilisers used by commercial flower farms in
Uganda.To understand measures through which pollution from these agricultural inputs
can be mitigated.

Problem and its Effects

1. Indoor System -Commercial flower farms use the Indoor System, the system
uses metallic and sometimes wooden structures, cladding material (plastic cover)
which lasts 5-7 years depending on care, climate and the type. Wherein when
the quality of these plastic films deteriorate, they are always removed and
 disposed of to the environment and sometimes burnt, releasing gases into the
atmosphere.
2. Fertilizers and chemical usage - All commercial flower farms use a range of
agricultural chemicals ranging from inorganic fertilisers to pesticides. These
fertilisers and other chemicals later find their way into surface water bodies
where they cause eutrophication affecting fish due to hypoxia.
3. Water Bodies - most of these commercial flower farms are located in central
Uganda near the shores of Lake Victoria. The possibility of the chemical reaching
the waters in the lake is very high especially in situations where poor handling
may occur. This exposes the lake to let in serious chemical contaminants after
run off that are not only dangerous to fish but also other forms of aquatic life
4. Workers Health - they get exposed to chemical residues through cutting of
flowers, poor protection from the greenhouses and delaying in greenhouses
when spraying is ongoing especially during peak harvest periods and when
workers are few on certain occasions.

Proposed Solution

These are the suggested measures to reduce the environmental pollution on

caused by commercial flower farms;
First of all policies and laws must be implemented. They need a strong
government initiative to make them abide all the regulations concerning environmental
policies. There is need to strictly monitor and enforce environmental laws from
grassroots to the ministry. This makes supervision easy at different levels if all
stakeholders are involved. Second, in order to educate these workers they must
undergo training. The Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF)
should prepare and conduct trainings on use of fertilisers and agricultural chemicals.
This should not only target workers but also farm owners. Training can be tailored on
effective use of chemicals and fertilisers, time of spraying; protective wear, cleanliness
after spraying as well as integrated approaches that can be adopted to reduce on over
reliance of chemical pesticides. As for the health protection of the workers, there must
be proper protection of farm workers. All the flower farms should ensure that every
worker accessing the greenhouse should be well protected with a complete protective
gear. This enables workers to remain safe and work for the farm for a long time with
being affected resulting from use of toxic chemicals. All the banned chemicals should
not be used on the farm. The farm owners should ensure that managers and other farm
workers are sensitised and fully aware that such chemicals pose both environmental
and human risk and should not be used. Soak pits and dispodal pits, chemicals
should not be allowed to drain in any open water body. The drainage channels from the
greenhouse should be made in such a way that they pour all the draining chemicals
from the greenhouse into one area well prepared for handling chemicals and fertilisers.
This saves lakes and other surface water channels from mineral containing drain which
pour in lakes and rivers and causing eutrophication.

Conclusion

In conclusion, commercial flower farms in Uganda use a lot of fertilisers and

other agrochemicals especially pesticides and they must use them if they have to
improve production to meet their market targets and client demands. However, there is
a need to strictly monitor and supervise all flower farm activities to ensure that all the
environmental guidelines are strictly followed.

The banned chemicals should totally be abolished not only on flower farms but also in
agro chemical shops. If that is not done, the health of people will greatly be affected
directly and indirectly since most surface water bodies, particularly Lake Victoria will be
heavily polluted, and the fish stocks will continuously dwindle impacting heavily on food
security and the income of the people around the lake.
Personal Insights
Agriculture plays a critical role in the entire life of a given economy. Agriculture is
the backbone of economic system of a given country. It has contributed to the
development of our economy but somehow as to wrong use, it could lead to serious
environmental problems. Commercial flower farms has made tremendous contributions
to the economy of Uganda. However, due to the high demand, it has cause them to use
fertilisers and pesticides that could badly affect the environment. Sadly, upon learning
some flower farms had use chemicals which harms the environment and even the well-
being of the worker/people. Some of them used chemicals which do not meet
International standard and others have been banned by standing protocols and are
somehow secretly used. According to the article, with the use of these fertilisers and
other pesticides, has contaminated the water bodies, not only that but it is even
dangerous to humans and it also lower yields in famers crops in the surrounding areas.
Also that, these commercial flower farms doesnt provide a proper protective gear where
the worker could use to prevent from exposure to harmful chemicals leading to severe
sickness and eventually death.

This article has provided new knowledge on what is happening today. It has
showed us the effects of using fertilizer and pesticides and most of all how could it affect
the environment. As of today, these problems are still present must continually be
monitored. Also we must be always reminded not by just the laws and policies
implemented but most of all our conscience. We must be considerate on our
environment because having a polluted environment could lead to an undesirable world
to live on. Because we get a lot from the natural resources that we have in order to
survive. Once we harm the environment we are also affected, so we must better be
mindful of our actions toward how we use the natural resources, not because we need
to boost our economy or any other aspects but to promote a better world to live.