The Future of Smallholder Farming in Eastern Africa - Uganda ...

Overcome period of low prices 113 57.4
Assemble large quantities (bulk building) 41 20.8
Ensure continuous supply 21 10.7
Disassemble into smaller quantities (bulk breaking) 18 9.1
Lack of transport 4 2.5
Total 197 100
Source: Authors’ survey, 2001.
According to the field survey results, about 29 percent of the sampled traders store their
maize in hired stores and godowns, while some do so either in their own houses (24 percent)
or in their own stores and godowns (22 percent). Storage in stalls in marketplaces and in
open-air markets is relatively unimportant because of levies charged by the local authorities
and associated risks especially theft of the stored stocks. Very few farmers and traders have
invested in storage facilities. The NCPB depots are also relatively unimportant in providing
storage to private traders. This situation can be attributed to the high rent charged and the
bureaucracy involved in acquiring storage space.
The major maize storage problems as reported in the sampled districts are shown in Table 15.
Lack of capital and credit, erratic price changes, problems of pest infestation (mainly rodents
and weevils), and high storage costs were cited as the major obstacles that limit the capacity
to store maize (Figure 6). Insect pests are the most severe and widespread biological
constraints on grain storage, and traders complained about the inefficacy of the pesticides
they use.
In order to increase their capacity to store maize, the sampled traders were of the opinion that
provision of capital in the form of soft loans, increased trader bargaining power (to counter
monopsonistic tendencies by large traders and processors), and reduced storage charges were
necessary. In addition, farmers’ adherence to the NCPB’s recommended moisture levels and
the provision of affordable and high-quality pesticides would enhance traders’ capacity to
store maize.