Immature maize trade fueling Uganda's aflatoxin crisis

The Grain Council of Uganda (TGCU) has called for interventions to regulate the buying of grain, saying it is exacerbating the problem of aflatoxins in Uganda. TGCU chairman Robert Mwanje said Saturday, November 11, that due to the high demand for maize, foreigners are coming into the country to buy gardens before maturity. He said as a result, the maize is not allowed to mature, which is worsening the problem of aflatoxins. Mwanje said immature grain contains higher moisture content, which is difficult to remove, causing the grain to degrade. He said in a bid to have it ready some unscrupulous people are spraying it with chemicals such as "Ambush" to make it dry faster. "This is the grain ending up at the border and creating a bad name for us,” he said. Mwanje said that as TGCU, they have made efforts to ensure that grain is properly harvested and processed, but their work is being undone by such acts. "We've had what we call industrial self-regulation, we'll try to regulate ...