The Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, has advised farmers and other sector players to adhere to proper harvesting and post-harvest handling practices to ensure high quality and safe food for human and livestock consumption.
This comes at a time when the country is experiencing conditions which are conducive for harvesting and primary processing of crops.
Addressing journalists, the minister of Agriculture, Vincent Bamulangaki Ssempijja, said majority of the farmers who planted early have already started harvesting crops like maize, rice, sorghum beans among others.
"On the other hand, the increased food production has paused challenges to farmers that need to be addressed. These include; big food supply volumes on the market amidst low effective consumer demand and purchasing power,"he said.
Consequently, Ssempijja said the prices for food stuffs like bananas have fallen drastically affecting farmers’ household incomes.
He advised farmers to harvest crops at the right maturity stages noting that crops should be handled properly and hygienically.
"Use clean containers and surfaces to avoid contamination. Avoid drying produce on a bare ground and dirty surfaces as this will lead to contamination,"he advised.
To address the challenge of the current falling food prices particularly for bananas and cereals,Ssempijja advised farmers and other stakeholders to harness the opportunities for value addition.
