Uganda destroys 1,700 tons of maize rejected by South Sudan over to high aflatoxin levels

JUBA, OCTOBER 31, 2023 (SUDANS POST) – Ugandan authorities have disposed of 1,700 tons of impounded maize and flour consignment, said Mary Gordon Muortat, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Bureau of Standards, without mentioning the exact date when goods were destroyed.

“The Ugandans, being our big brothers, decided to destroy them instead of waiting for us to gather our funds to be able to destroy them,” she told journalists during a press conference on Monday in the capital Juba.

The National Bureau of Standards at the Nimule border point had seized at least 1,700 tons of maize grains, maize flour, and wheat tested for high levels of aflatoxin in July.

Ugandan authorities later subjected the goods to a retest carried out by East African Community (EAC) standards experts, which confirmed the presence of high aflatoxin levels in the Ugandan maize rejected by South Sudan authorities. Preliminary results from the retest indicated that the 1,700 tons of maize, valued at $2 million, failed the aflatoxin level tests.

Gordon said that the retest carried out by the Ugandan National Bureau of Standards was done under the observation of EAC experts.

“Few weeks ago, we heard the news that those consignments that South Sudan rejected were fully found to have high aflatoxin levels, B-1 specifically, and they are not fit for consumption and they have to be destroyed,” she said.

Gordon disclosed that the trading relationship between South Sudan and Uganda has turned to normal as a result of the disposal of the goods deemed harmful for human consumption.

“Those consignments are no longer there, we have destroyed them and now our trading between us and Uganda has improved a lot because now checking in is done thoroughly and nothing is entering in unless the sample is tested and checked by our staff.”

She said Ugandan authorities will carry out quality tests and issue certificates to its traders before the final shipment of goods into the country.

“Those consignments were destroyed and thankfully Uganda Bureau of Standard took this seriously and now they are making sure that all goods coming to South Sudan, especially sorghum and maize, are tested before being brought to South Sudan.”