A new study finds limited farmer training, weak food safety oversight and reliance on informal markets are increasing pesticide-related risks in Burao’s vegetable value chain, calling for stronger extension services and consumer education
HARGEISA — As vegetable production expands to meet growing urban demand in Somaliland, a new study warns that limited farmer training, weak food safety oversight and widespread reliance on informal markets are increasing the risk of pesticide exposure for both producers and consumers.
The research, published as an accepted manuscript in Scientific Reports, is the first study to examine pesticide use by vegetable farmers alongside consumer awareness within the same food value chain in Burao. Researchers surveyed 100 vegetable farmers and 50 consumers, concluding that improvements in agricultural extension, food safety education and market regulation are needed to reduce pesticide-related health risks.
“Strengthening extension services, improving pesticide safety communication, and enhancing food safety awareness represent key entry points,” the researchers wrote, while noting that the findings remain preliminary because of the study’s exploratory sample.
The study was led by researchers from IGAD Sheikh Technical and Veterinary School, SKUAST-Kashmir and the University of Nairobi and provides one of the most detailed assessments to date of food safety practices in Somaliland’s growing horticultural sector.
Growing Vegetable Production Meets Limited Oversight
Researchers say vegetable farming has expanded rapidly across Burao as demand for fresh produce increases, but institutional oversight has struggled to keep pace.
According to the study, vegetable growers face persistent pest infestations—including aphids, caterpillars, whiteflies and beetles—driving many farmers to rely on chemical pesticides purchased through private agro-dealers and informal markets where regulatory oversight remains limited.
The authors note that Somaliland’s dryland agricultural sector remains particularly vulnerable because regulatory capacity for pesticide control and food safety monitoring is still developing.
“Food safety governance remains underdeveloped, with weak enforcement and monitoring, increasing the likelihood of pesticide residues entering the food chain,” the study states.
Few Farmers Receive Professional Advice
The survey found that 83% of farmers had used pesticides at some point, although only 30% reported applying them during their most recent growing season—the measure used in the study’s statistical analysis.
Perhaps more concerning, only 13% of farmers reported receiving agricultural extension services during the previous year, while 67% said agro-veterinary shops were their primary source of pesticide information.
Safety practices also varied considerably.
Only 22% of pesticide users reported reading and following label instructions before application, although 66% said they waited one to four weeks between spraying and harvesting to reduce residue levels.
Researchers cautioned that these findings are based on self-reported data and may overestimate actual compliance.
Education and Extension May Reduce Pesticide Use
Using both conventional and Bayesian statistical models, researchers found that farmers with higher education levels and access to agricultural extension services were generally less likely to use pesticides.
Although the statistical evidence remained imprecise because of the relatively small sample size, the direction of the findings was consistent across multiple analytical approaches.
“Both Bayesian and frequentist models indicate a negative association between extension access and education with pesticide use, although uncertainty remained substantial across estimates,” the study concludes.
Researchers emphasized that better farmer education alone is unlikely to solve the problem without stronger advisory services and broader institutional support.
Consumers Worried but Poorly Informed
The consumer survey revealed another challenge.
While 82% of respondents knew pesticides were used in vegetable production, food safety knowledge remained only moderate, averaging 3.08 out of 5, while concern about pesticide residues averaged 5.38 out of 10, suggesting that anxiety often exceeded practical understanding.
Despite these concerns, 74% of consumers continued buying vegetables from open-air markets, and 86% reported having little or no access to food safety information.
Researchers described this as a disconnect between awareness and the ability to make safer purchasing decisions.
“These measures indicate a gap between perceived risk and actionable understanding,” the study says.
The study also found that consumers with tertiary education demonstrated stronger food safety knowledge than those without formal schooling, although concern about pesticide residues remained relatively high across all education levels.
Structural Barriers Limit Safer Choices
Rather than simply blaming individual behavior, the researchers argue that structural conditions largely determine how both farmers and consumers respond to food safety risks.
Limited agricultural extension, weak market regulation, scarce access to certified produce and dependence on informal markets all constrain safer practices, they found.
“Improving food safety outcomes requires not only targeted risk communication focused on practical mitigation strategies but also systemic interventions, including improved market regulation, increased access to certified produce, and enhanced affordability,” the researchers wrote.
Call for Stronger Food Safety Systems
Although the authors caution that the study’s relatively small sample limits broader statistical conclusions, they say the research offers an important baseline for understanding pesticide use and food safety in Somaliland’s expanding horticultural sector.
Among their recommendations are expanding agricultural extension services, improving pesticide safety communication, strengthening food safety awareness campaigns in informal markets, and conducting future research using pesticide residue testing and traceability systems.
The researchers conclude that strengthening both production practices and consumer protection will be essential as Somaliland’s vegetable industry continues to grow.
“Strengthening context-specific agricultural extension, improving pesticide safety communication, and enhancing food safety awareness in informal markets therefore represent key entry points for intervention in Somaliland’s horticultural sector.”
