KIKUUBE, July 25, 2025 — Leaders and farmers in Kikuube district have welcomed the recently passed Grain Quality Ordinance, which aims to improve post-harvest handling of grain crops across the district.
Post-harvest handling refers to the management of crops immediately after harvesting, including all processes from field handling to final delivery to consumers.
According to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics, Kikuube district has an estimated population of 380,097, excluding around 140,000 refugees in the Kyangwali settlement. Approximately 80 percent of the population relies on smallholder agriculture for their livelihoods. Commonly grown grain crops include maize, beans, rice, soybeans, and sorghum.
Maize is a priority crop for smallholder farmers in the district, valued for its role in food security, animal feed, nutrition, and income generation. The district produces about 12,000 metric tonnes of maize annually. However, poor post-harvest practices, such as drying crops directly on the ground, have led to significant losses in weight, quality, seed viability, and market value.
To address these challenges, the Kikuube District Production Department introduced the Grain Quality Bill 2025, aimed at promoting better post-harvest handling practices district-wide.
The bill, presented by Silverious Tumusiime, Secretary for Production and Natural Resources and Councillor for Kyangwali Sub-county, was read for the third time and passed into law as a district ordinance.
The new ordinance seeks to enforce proper agronomic practices in grain production, regulate harvesting and post-harvest handling, and govern grain-related value addition activities. It also includes provisions for licensing grain dealers and enhancing the marketability of grain as both a food and cash crop.
Key areas of focus include the use of herbicides, application of fertilisers, prevention of selling moist grain, prohibiting the drying of grain on bare ground, timely weeding, and appropriate harvesting and storage methods.
Tumusiime noted that the district will conduct sensitisation campaigns to educate farmers about the ordinance. Farmers who fail to comply may face penalties such as being barred from selling their produce, losing access to agricultural support programmes, or, in some cases, facing arrest.
The ordinance has generated optimism among both farmers and district leaders, who believe it will reduce post-harvest losses and improve grain quality.
Vicente Opio, Vice Chairperson of Kikuube District, said the ordinance is timely, addressing long-standing challenges in post-harvest handling. “This ordinance is a game-changer. It will help farmers produce quality grain that can fetch better prices in the market, once it is approved by the Solicitor General,” he said.
Nicolas Murungi, a maize and rice farmer, also expressed support, saying the law will hold accountable those farmers who have refused to adopt improved post-harvest practices. “Some of us follow proper methods, but others don’t, and their actions affect us all. This ordinance is a step in the right direction,” he said.
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