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 Printable version |
Pesticides in the Senegal River Delta |
Cahiers Agricultures. Volume 5, Number 2, 112-7, Mars-Avril 1996, Option
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 Résumé
Article gratuit
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Author(s) : Abou Thiam |
Summary : In Senegal, irrigated crops such as rice and sugar cane are among the country’s major crops. As in many other African countries, it is a common perception that agricultural intensification equates with increased input of pesticide and chemical fertiliser. As a result, on-going agricultural programmes tend to promote the use of Chemicals. In a normal year, pesticides used in Senegal cost about US $ 20 million. About 60% is used on cotton-crops and locust control. The Senegal River Valley is known for its irrigated agriculture. In the past, the area was affected by sea water flooding. The newly-built Diama and Manantali dams (upstream and downstream) have stopped the salt and controlled the streamflow, thus extending Senegal’s irrigated land by some 250,000 ha. Traditional Senegal River ecosystems were a combination of rainfed agriculture, recession agriculture, extensive livestock production, fishing, and logging in natural forests. Irrigation programmes have been launched to offset the degradation resulting from the scarcity of floods and the repeated shortage of rain. Various agricultural Systems coexist in the Delta: agro-industries and development corporations, community-managed lands and private farms. Between 1981 and 1992, whereas cultivated land increased by a factor of three, paddy rice yield increased by a factor of five. But yield is still low because of salinity and weeds. Consequently, a substantial proportion of the agricultural budget goes into inputs. Due to poor scientific research, the impact of pesticides on the local populations remains under-documented. Liberalization did not result in transparency on the pesticide market. Pesticide use has spread to non-agricultural activities, and a wide range of pest and disease control products are now available, with no quality control on either the market or the farm. The cost of pesticides and the ubiquity of middle-men (bana-banas) led to uncontrolled use of herbicides, with farmers frequently under- or over-dosing. To deal with the social, environmental and economic aspects, a master plan for the integrated development of the Senegal River West Bank (PDHG) was launched in 1991. The PDHG aims to combine the following factors as best as possible: social (food self-sufficiency and security), economic (return on investment) and environmental (environment restoration and preservation). As to regulations, Senegal has voted a law on pesticide registration and control. The regulations, however, are not always easy to enforce. The problems in pest and disease control, the efficiency of products available to farmers, in commercial practices and the use of pesticides cannot be over-emphasised. So, if decision-makers are to be given useful data for their policy-making, in-depth studies on the social, economic and environmental impacts of pesticides in the study area are required. |
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