Africa-Press – Uganda. The Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS), in partnership with the Eastern Africa Grain Council (EAGC), has launched a targeted training program for Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) aimed at improving grain handling, testing, and grading practices to address quality concerns and reduce post-harvest losses.
The training, held at the UNBS headquarters in Bweyogerere, focuses on equipping grain sector players with practical knowledge to combat aflatoxin contamination a major threat to food safety and improve compliance with export standards as Uganda eyes larger regional and international markets.
Speaking at the event, UNBS Deputy Executive Director in charge of Standards, Patricia Bageine Ejalu, emphasised the critical role of compliance in ensuring consumer safety and trade readiness.
“When producing food, you hold people’s lives in your hands,” she said.
“Comply with standards to have quality and safe products on the market because, very soon, no grain product will be traded in and out of Uganda without a Q-mark and a Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) permit,”she added.
Grain and grain products are the most widely consumed food items in Uganda.
However, poor post-harvest handling remains a major bottleneck, with more than 40% of grain lost annually across the region.
In Uganda alone, this translates to losses exceeding USD 45 million, undermining food security and export competitiveness.
Paul Ochuna, EAGC Country Manager for Uganda, said the initiative comes at a critical time, as the country works to meet the rising quality demands of regional markets such as Kenya, Rwanda, and South Sudan.
“This training is essential. By equipping MSMEs and quality officers with hands-on skills, we’re not only reducing post-harvest losses but also unlocking trade opportunities worth hundreds of millions of dollars,” Ochuna noted.
The training aligns with UNBS’s new strategic focus on “growing quality MSMEs” by supporting producers with knowledge in food safety, fair trade practices, and standard compliance.
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