Preventing Postharvest Maize Grain Losses for Smallholder Farmers in the District of Iganga, Uganda.

Maize (Zea mays L.) is a major dietary staple for a large portion of the world, and the population of Uganda relies heavily on the grain to provide adequate food nutrition in their diets. Annual maize consumption within the country is currently increasing, which is primarily attributed to an above average birthrate of 7.3 children per female and an annual population growth rate of 3.4%. This means that the agricultural sector is facing extreme social and environmental pressures to feed the country’s growing population. Despite this increasing demand, the present agricultural infrastructure in Uganda is rudimentary and provides barely enough maize grain to subsist the current population. Furthermore, the average Ugandan farmer has a very limited access to agricultural education and often lacks the know-how and/or supplies to properly handle and store grain sanitarily after harvest. As a result of poor postharvest practices, maize grain losses of up to 25% are reported across Uganda each year from insects, fungi, bacteria, rodents, birds, and human activity or inactivity. In order to bring agricultural change to Uganda, a case study was conducted as part of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) / Catholic Relief Services (CRS) / Farmer-to-Farmer (F2F) program on the postharvest practices in the district of Iganga, which has roughly 40% (41,868 ha) of the area cropped in maize and is considered the largest maize production area in the country. The case study evaluated current grain handling and storage methods, identified non-monetary improvements that could be made immediately using the agricultural infrastructure in place, developed a step-by-step plan for infrastructural change in the as monetary resources become available, and delivered training on proper postharvest practices to 156 smallholder maize farmers. The goal of this project was to develop a plan to improve the agricultural infrastructure in the district of Iganga by introducing modern, affordable, and sustainable postharvest technology to individual smallholder farmers and the local cooperative operation. Improving postharvest maize grain practices can substantially improve the nutrition, income, and the quality of life for the maize producers and citizens in the district, in addition to increasing the quality and quantity of maize grain throughout the country and on the global market. Furthermore, grain improvement and storage capability is vital to the region’s financial independence, food security, decreased reliance on foreign aid, and environmental sustainability.