UG Maize Quality

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The Project will support the Government of Uganda and key stakeholders to improve the legal and regulatory environment for maize trading. An immediate objective is to increase the quantity of quality maize traded. The focus on the maize market complements the World Bank’s focus on improving the productivity and post-harvest handling practices of maize farmers. The Project has three components: A. Pilot Market Engagement at the District Level. This component will concentrate on maize traders operating stores in the district town of Mubende to pilot information dissemination, awareness raising, training as well as more effective monitoring and enforcement activities to improve compliance levels with maize quality standards. Mubende district is one of the top 5 maize producing districts in Uganda. B. Strengthening Private Sector Led Self-Regulation Capacities. The IFC will support the Grain Council of Uganda (TGCU) to update, simplify and disseminate its Code of Conduct on activities that members in the maize sector should undertake along the value chain to ensure good quality maize. Additionally, TGCU will receive advice and support to enable them to improve their policy advocacy role. C. National Policy Engagement. This component will include working with the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS), Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) to develop an information dissemination, awareness raising, and monitoring and enforcement framework that can be applied to improve compliance levels with maize quality standards at district level and by bulk buyers, including exporters. The project will also support these institutions to work closely with the Public Procurement and Disposal Assets Authority (PPDA) to set up a regulatory mechanism for bulk buyers of maize products in the government to purchase quality grain. This is expected to incentivize traders to comply with maize standards that ensure improved food safety and improved access to markets for quality maize products.