SEATINI Uganda has launched by-laws to boost maize quality and ensure market access in Gulu and Amuru districts .
The by-laws will promote proper farming practices including thinning, wedding, use of fertilisers, harvesting, and post-harvesting activities .
The by-laws were launched SEATINI-Uganda, in partnership with TradeMark Africa as part of a project titled, “Strengthening the Maize Value Chain's Compliance and Competitiveness in Amuru (Elegu Market) and Gulu Districts.”
The project aims to enhance the capacity of maize value chain actors in these districts to comply with maize standards, thereby improving quality, market competitiveness, and farmer livelihoods.
Speaking during the launch at Acholi Inn Hotel in Gulu City, Herbert Kafeero, the Programs and Communications Manager at SEATINI Uganda said whereas maize serves as a key source of food and income for millions of households in Uganda widely cultivated across the country due to its adaptability to various agro-ecological zones, its production faces challenges which compromise the quality and consequently leading to rejections by key trading partners.
“ Efforts by the government and development partners to improve maize farming practices, value addition, and market access have aimed to enhance productivity, and the livelihoods of farmers involved in its cultivation,” Kafeero said.
“The continued failure by maize value chain actors to meet the requisite standards can be attributed to various factors including; limited capacity by the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) to enforce standards compliance and continuously sensitize stakeholders on how to meet the set standards; lack of access to information on standards for maize amongst various value chain actors including; producers, traders, and even implementing authorities such as District Commercial Officers (DCOs), Local Government and CSOs, limited access to extension services, absence of regulatory frameworks like Ordinances and by-laws to compel value chain actors to adhere to the set quality standards.”
Kafeerosaid despite several efforts made to enhance production of maize in Gulu and Amuru District, maize marketability is constrained by several factors, key among which is the failure to meet set market standards due to poor quality of maize produce.
“ This arises because of poor post-harvest handling practices and through the absence of adequate and appropriate food infrastructure in harvest and post-harvest systems. As such, this has negatively affected the competitiveness of Uganda maize produce in higher value market segments across the East African Community.”
He explained that the by-law will help force value chain actors to adopt good agricultural practices including proper post-harvest handling practices, invest in improved storage facilities, and comply with established quality and safety standards.
According to Kafeero, SEATINI with support from a legal consultant developed the maize by-laws for Guruguru and Paicho sub counties in Amuru and Gulu districts respectively.
