Assessment of the Pesticides Utilization and the Pesticide Residues Presence in Fresh and Tomato Products for the Tomato Supply Chain in Rwanda

Abstract

Pesticide residues are either natural or synthetic and are found in most edible products such as fresh fruits, vegetables, meat and other processed products. Excess of these pesticides’ residues is unsafe for consumption due to regulatory measures. Thus, it is beneficial to assess the level of residues of pesticides in the food diet in order to improve the standard of living of the population. This study intends to assess the pesticide usage and residue levels of selected pesticides in fresh tomatoes in the supply chain of Rwanda. The results of the study confirm that there are around 10 brands of pesticides used in Rwanda. 58.97% of the surveyed people around the country are males and 71.79% of farmers apply rockets as the main pesticide. More than 22% of surveyed farmers affirmed to consume the raw or/and unwashed tomatoes. This study revealed that the residues of the active ingredients contained in the pesticides are accumulated in unwashed tomatoes and the quantity of such residues is shown in this study. Deltamethrin was 0.64 ± 0. 009 mg·kg?1 in tomatoes collected in Rusizi district, cypermethrin 1.1435 ± 0. 0375 mg·kg?1 in tomatoes collected from Gisagara District, mancozeb residues was 0.620 ± 0.000 mg·kg?1 in tomatoes collected from Rusizi district. The results of the study also show that pesticide residues are not found in the washed tomatoes. Therefore, the detection of pesticide residues in unwashed tomatoes in some samples indicates the malpractice of residues among farmers in Rwanda. Also, consumers eating the unwashed fresh tomatoes are recommended to wash the tomatoes before use.