HOIMA– Traders dealing in agricultural produce in Bunyoro Sub-region have been told to adhere to quality standards if they are to benefit from the market offered by the oil and gas industry.
The advice came as Uganda National Bureau of Standards [UNBS], the Ministry of Trade Industry and Cooperatives [MTIC], and the World Food Program [WFP] were holding a standards training session for the produce dealers in Bunyoro region where oil and gas activities are taking place.
The produce dealers and farmers in the area are expected to supply food to some of the players in the oil and gas industry. But the foodstuffs must be of high quality as required by the industry’s standards.
The officials from the three institutions were assessing different processing mills and stores in Kiryateete Industrial Area, Hoima City but also trained produce dealers on quality, sanitation, and packaging of their finished products like maize flour.
Stanley Ahimbisibwe, the Commissioner in MTIC explained that the initiative funded by WFP is aimed at preparing the produce dealers in the region to tap into the local and international oil and gas market.
The Commissioner noted the programme was initiated after research established that the produce dealers dealing in rice, maize, and beans among others in the region, were unable to supply their produce to refugee camps and in the oil industry due to nonadherence to set quality standards.
He noted that during the inspection, they realised that the issues of quality, hygiene, storage, branding, and packaging are still a challenge with most of the produce dealers.
He added that some produce dealers have processing machines that are old and others are of poor quality, which makes the foods they process unsafe for human consumption.
The official noted that farmers and produce dealers are always complaining about the lack of market for their agricultural products, holding that the market is not a challenge, only that people have failed to address the issue of quality.
He urged the produce dealers in the region to put emphasis on standards, hygiene of their stores, and packaging if they are to enjoy the growing market both nationally and internationally.
“We have market in the refugee camps. Refugees are always given money to buy food, but it must safe,” he said, warning that Aflatoxins in maize and ground nuts cause cancer. “We are here … because WFP needs to prepare the business community in Bunyoro to be able to supply this market,” he said.
Steven Murungi Mwijakubi, the Chairman of Hoima Producer and Processors Association commended WFP for the training on food processing standards, saying the initiative was long overdue.
He admitted that most of the produce dealers have been lacking information on what they are supposed to do to improve their business and attract buyers.
He noted that the initiative is going to help them to improve on quality standards and help their businesses to grow.
Sarah Ssewari, the director of Sarah Agro-business, requested financial support from the government to buy new milling machines.
She noted most of the produce dealers lack money to procure modern processing machines and build modern stores among others
https://thecooperator.news/unbs-develops-110-new-standards-for-food-and-agricultural-sector/
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