By John Masaba
The Grain Council of Uganda (TGCU) has called for interventions to regulate the buying of grain, saying it is exacerbating the problem of aflatoxins in Uganda.
TGCU chairman Robert Mwanje said Saturday, November 11, that due to the high demand for maize, foreigners are coming into the country to buy gardens before maturity.
He said a result, the maize is not allowed to mature, which is worsening the problem of Aflatoxins.
Mwanje said immature grain contains higher moisture content, which is difficult to remove, causing the grain to degrade.
He said in a bid to have it ready some unscrupulous people are spraying it with chemicals such as “Ambush” to make it dry faster.
“This is the grain ending up at the border and creating a bad name for us,” he said.
Mwanje said that as TGCU, they have made efforts to ensure that grain is properly harvested and processed, but their work is being undone by such acts.
“We’ve had what we call industrial self-regulation, we’ll try to regulate ourselves. We’ll try to say ‘What can we do, such that whatever we process, whatever we give to people to eat, is fit for human consumption, but efforts are being undone,” he added.
He was speaking during a local radio talk show about Uganda’s growing problem of aflatoxins.
Aflatoxins are known to cause liver cancer and immune suppression and are strongly associated with stunting.
According to online sources, aflatoxins contamination of sorghum, maize, and peanuts causes a decline in exports valued at $7.48m which accounts for a 45% reduction in total agricultural exports to Uganda.
In recent years, Uganda has had her grain rejected by Kenya and South Sudan over concerns that the level of aflatoxins in the consignments for export exceeds levels recommended by the World Health Organization.
