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26th June , 2025 HITS: 212
Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) in partnership with the Eastern Africa Grain Council (EAGC) is conducting a comprehensive training for Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) in Grain Handling, Testing and Grading aimed at enhancing grain quality management across the region.
The initiative aimed at combating widespread aflatoxin contamination and boosting Uganda's grain industry is in line with the new UNBS value proposition of growing quality MSMEs through handholding and equipping them with crucial knowledge and skills in food safety to ensure consumer protection, fair trade and enhance competitiveness of locally manufactured products on the regional and international markets.
Speaking during the training at UNBS head offices in Bweyogerere, Ms. Patricia Bageine Ejalu-Deputy Executive Director in charge of standards at the UNBS noted that grain and grain products are by far the largest consumed products in Uganda and urged MSMEs to collaborate with government in enhancing the quality of grain products traded in and out of the country.
She noted that farmers, grain aggregators and flour processors each have specific responsibilities to ensure product safety; “When producing food, you hold people's lives in your hands, 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 (quality mark) and a Sanitary and Phytosanitory (SPS ) permit”.
Commenting on the training, Paul Ochuna, EAGC Country Manager for Uganda, stated, “This training comes at a pivotal moment for Uganda’s grain sector. With increasing demand from regional markets, ensuring that our grain meets the required quality and safety standards is not optional; it’s essential. By equipping MSMEs and quality officers with hands-on skills, we are strengthening Uganda’s competitiveness, reducing post-harvest losses, and opening up trade opportunities worth hundreds of millions of dollars.”
Over 40% of the grain is lost due to poor handling across the region. In Uganda alone, this results in losses of over USD 45 million annually. These losses not only affect food security but also hinder the country’s ability to compete in lucrative regional markets such as Kenya, South Sudan, and Rwanda.
Continued joint efforts between government and the private sector signify unwavering commitment to improving the quality of grain and grain products across the entire value chain.
About UNBS
The Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) is a Government Agency responsible for developing, promoting and enforcing national standards in protection of Public Health and Safety, and the Environment against harmful and sub-standard products.
ABOUT EAGC
The Eastern Africa Grain Council (EAGC) is a regional organization with membership from across 10 countries across Africa, including Burundi, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, South Sudan, DRC Congo, and Ethiopia. EAGC’s key products and services include the promotion of a structured trading system (STS) through the warehouse receipting systems (WRS), and Regional Grain Trading platform (GSoko), Market Information Systems (MIS) offered through the Regional Agricultural Trade Intelligence Network (RATIN- (www.ratin.net) and evidence-based Policy Advocacy and Training and Capacity Building through the Grain Business Institute (GBI).
For more information, please contact:
Sylvia Kirabo,
Principal Public Relations Officer,
Telephone: 256 417 333250 / 0703196903
E-mail: sylvia.kirabo@unbs.go.ug