Nakaseke – The Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF), Makerere University with funding from Brac Seeds has trained 65 Community Agriculture Promoters (CAPS) across the country.
The five-day training on professional course in safe use and handling of chemicals was held at Brac Learning Center in Nakaseke from 19th-24th November 2023.
In an interview with our reporter, Judith Legico the Business associate and partnership manager at Brac social enterprise says the objective of the training was to support the youths who have been working with Brac as community Agriculture promoters(CAPS) majorly in demand creation, promoting, distribution and selling of brac seeds to the last mile farmers to graduate from CAPS to agro-input dealers.
“These are people who have shops but didn’t have the license and certificates so they were operating illegally so BRAC supported them to get certificates in safe use and handling of chemicals,” She told our reporter in an interview.
Legico said out of 65 participants across the country, 48 were from Lango sub-region covering districts of Apac Dokolo and Lira.
Fred Muzira the inspector crop protection and certification at MAAIF conveyed their sincere appreciation to BRAC for training the youths on the safe use and handling of chemicals.
He said that most agro-dealers are operating shops illegally without attaining this certificate and license from MAAIF, and some are hawking chemicals.
“I want to thank BRAC seeds for choosing to train its CAPS this shows to us that you are complying with the rules and regulations of MAAIF,” Muzira noted.
He added that MAAIF is confident that with the knowledge on safe use and handling of chemicals the youths attained, they will be able to better advise farmers on how to identify the different pests in the gardens, recommend pesticides to use, when to use, how to store and dispose of chemical containers.
The CAPS were taken through topics including pest management, pesticide application, herbicide application, pesticide and environment, safety in pesticide application, transportation, storage, and disposal of pesticides among others.
After the training, the CAPS were issued certificates to enable them to start and operate input shops legally.
