Acholi cooperative farmers to sell maize under new model

KITGUM-At least 35 farmer cooperatives under East Acholi Cooperative Union [EACU] are to benefit from the new arrangement [ model ] of buying maize introduced by a private company.

Known as ‘Maize-cob Model,‘ and introduced by Grain Pulse Limited, the new arrangement will see farmers sell dry maize cobs with 26 percent moisture, right in their gardens and the company does transportation from the garden, drying, storage, and marketing.

According to the arrangement, each kilogramme of maize will be bought at Shs 700 and at least 800 metric tons are needed by Grain Pulse Limited in the first season.

Zoris Bongomin, the CEO of Global Educational Initiative Uganda, which has been contracted to mobilise the farmers on behalf of Grain Pulse, said 65 agents have already been trained.

“We have already trained 65 village agents and each agent has been given a target of mobilising 250 tons,’’ he said.

To him, the move is geared toward market linkage and post-harvest handling, something that has been failing farmers in their endeavors to deliver high-quality output on the market.

The pilot project will see members not labouring to have storage facilities as the maize will be sold in the garden.

He said plans are underway to roll out the Maize-cob Model in West Acholi districts under Acholi Cooperative Union next year.

Ricard Ocen, an agent in Pader district said farmers now have high expectations as opposed to the past when harvesting, drying, storing, and marketing the produce were the key challenges that resulted in losses.

“To me, this project will help us to do away with the middlemen who have been exploiting us,’’ he said.

He however said the harsh weather that affected most of the crops in the region has been a setback during the first season as the produce churned out is way far below what the farmers expected to harvest.

Regional Commercial Officer Grain Pulse, Didas Tumuhaise said, the Maize-cob Model will help in maintaining the quality of the produce since the buyers have good drying and storage facilities that meet the required standards.

“What we are engaging the farmers in is not labour intensive compared to the usual means of harvesting, drying, and taking the produce to the market,’’ he said.

He said they want more farmers in the next season to sell their produce under the arrangement.

The new model is good because post-harvest handling processes for maize farmers in Uganda are lengthy and done without adequate infrastructure, officials say. “These inefficient post-harvest practices can lead to increased damage and post-harvest losses, particularly because of the presence of aflatoxins, a naturally occurring soil-borne fungus that contaminates many staple foods, especially maize and other cereals.”

Aflatoxin contamination of foodstuffs impacts hundreds of millions of farmers across Sub-Saharan Africa, according to a recent study by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture. Although farmers in Uganda have not been spared its devastating effects, collaborations with private sector stakeholders are now reaping a positive impact for farmers.

https://thecooperator.news/hundreds-of-nwoya-farmers-disconnected-from-market/

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