Online reactions to the article ‘Agriculture minister clarifies use of chemical fertilisers’

Editor,The Agriculture Minister should know that developed countries are now facing health problems due to chemical use in agriculture. An example is resistance to drugs, thereby leading to complication of treating diseases.The main environmental problem associated with fertiliser use is contamination of water with nitrates and phosphates.The nitrogen from fertilisers and manures are eventually converted by bacteria in the soil to nitrates. These nitrates can be leached into the groundwater or be washed out of the soil surface into streams and rivers. High nitrate levels in drinking water are considered to be dangerous to human health. Phosphorus cannot be readily washed out of the soil, but is bound to soil particles and moves together with them. Phosphorus can therefore be washed into surface waters together with the soil that is being eroded. The phosphorus is not considered to be dangerous, but it stimulates the growth of algae in slow moving water. These algae eventually die and decompose, removing the oxygen from the water causing death of fish. This process is called eutrophication. It is important to remember that there are a number of sources of these pollutants including industrial waste, sewerage disposal, detergents and manures. The problem of high nitrate levels in groundwater was recorded as early as 1860, long before fertiliser use became common place. Recent research shows that the main sources of nitrates in groundwater are crop residues and organic matter that decompose and produce nitrates at time when crops cannot make use of them. --------------------------------------------------------------- Editor, The sustainability of a CIP strategy which focused largely on the use of inorganic fertilisers has also come into question. In her analysis of the sustainability of the CIP Nicole Cantore has argued in favor of CIP’s intensive agriculture approach and the role of subsidies, given especially that only 17.7% of Rwanda’s farming households are using chemical fertilisers. She, however, warns that the prevailing lack of sustainability targets within the CIP and its lack of focus on the potential damages from intensive agriculture bode badly for the future of high input-high output agriculture in Rwanda. She strongly recommends the introduction of targets aimed at promoting Integrated Soil fertility Management (ISFM) practices, which call for a mix of mineral fertilisers and organic soil amendments. Patrick Osodo- Muvumba ------------------------------------------------------Editor,I would not be far from the truth to say that your arguments are very myopic and are based on a very shallow analysis in relationship to agricultural produce and significant food shortages. Otherwise, how else do you and your school of thought think or propose a solution to increasing agricultural produce without using chemical fertilisers, apart from the references of researchers that you are advancing in your comment, I didn’t see any substantial alternatives that you or REMA are proposing as a point of clarification, what those researchers refer to is the excessive application of fertilisers which we all know has negative environmental effects, and wastes the farmer’s time and money. And this is not the case with Rwandan farmers. Recently, I visited a friend who is using chemical fertilisers to increase her maize production. She explained that what they are doing is applying the chemical fertilisers mainly to deal with nutrient deficiency. In some parts of our country the soils are very poor, yet getting organic manure for commercial farming in those areas is as hard as finding an Eskimo in Kigali. Dr. Agnes Kalibata put it right that organic farming requires a lot of work and that it is suitable for subsistence farming while using chemical fertilisers would increase agricultural produce to satisfy a large population and tackle significantly food shortages. Unfortunately, while some people have a clear and strategic vision in finding solutions to challenges not only facing Rwanda but the whole world, we have others who still think and strategise on a subsistence level. Amani, do you know that organic fertiliser is made chiefly of manure from farms, where it has to be collected and composted, but more important, there simply isn’t enough of it available to satisfy the demand. REMA should not worry these chemical fertilisers are tested, thus negative impact on environment is minimal. I strongly support the Ministry of Agriculture. If we are to develop commercial farming in Rwanda, use of chemical fertilisers is the way forward.Nathan -Kigali

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Online reactions to the article ‘Agriculture minister clarifies use of chemical fertilisers’