Uganda’s horticulture sector remains one of the top earners for the East African nation but the recent European Union (EU) warning over quality related issues could hurt the sector if it is not addressed.
Paul Mwambu, the Commissioner for Crop Inspection and Certification at the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, told The Independent in an interview that most of the country’s horticulture products are falling short of the EU recommended standards and thus risk being denied access to the 27-nation market.
He said EU’s concerns revolve around presence of pests, poor storage, packaging and high levels of unwanted pesticide residues.