Farmers in North Face Jail over Contaminated Maize

What you need to know:

The by-laws aim to boost compliance and competitiveness in the maize value chain

Smallholder farmers in Amuru and Gulu districts risk imprisonment or fines for failing to comply with new maize quality standards under recently passed by-laws.  If found guilty of wilfully contaminating maize produce with foreign matter such as stones, dust, or droppings, offenders could face up to two months in jail or pay a fine of up to two currency points (Shs40,000), or both.

The new maize producers and traders by-laws were enacted earlier this year by the Guru-Guru Sub-county Council in Amuru District and Paicho Sub-county Council in Gulu District. The initiative was supported by SEATINI Uganda with funding from the UK government through Trade – Mark Africa. The by-laws aim to boost compliance and competitiveness in the maize value chain, covering agronomic practices, post-harvest handling, value addition, transportation, Agro-input regulation, and the establishment of sub-county maize marketing committees.

Article by Daily Monitor