Maize output to increase by 11 percent
Sep 23, 2010
KAMPALA - Uganda’s 2010 maize crop is expected to expand by 11% due to favourable weather and widening use of high-yielding seeds, a top government official told Reuters on Wednesday.
KAMPALA - Uganda’s 2010 maize crop is expected to expand by 11% due to favourable weather and widening use of high-yielding seeds, a top government official told Reuters on Wednesday.
Opolot Okasai, the commissioner for crop resources in the agriculture ministry, said Uganda would produce an estimated two million tonnes of maize this year, up from 1.8 million tonnes last year.
Although traditionally a peripheral commodity in Uganda, over the last few years maize production has soared and demand for the cereal leapt from the east African country’s neighbours of Southern Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Kenya.
Uganda’s domestic corn consumption stands at an estimated 1.1 million tonnes.
“We distributed enormous amounts of good quality high-yielding seeds last year and fortunately weather was fairly good and the result was the bumper harvest that we saw,†he said.
“A significant portion of those seeds that we distributed were carried over and planted this year and since January the weather so far has been encouraging and these two factors will certainly push us to two million metric tonnes.â€
In 2009, Uganda experienced a scorching drought mid,year that significantly cut back output in most other crops, including coffee for which the country is Africa’s largest exporter.
Rains were plentiful though in the latter part of the year when much of the maize crop is produced.
Uganda recorded its best ever maize harvest in 2009, but farmers’ elation over their rich harvest was tempered by a steep drop in prices as traders flooded the market with supplies.
Okasai said the low prices were unlikely to cool farmer enthusiasm this year because of growing regional markets.
Reuters
Opolot Okasai, the commissioner for crop resources in the agriculture ministry, said Uganda would produce an estimated two million tonnes of maize this year, up from 1.8 million tonnes last year.
Although traditionally a peripheral commodity in Uganda, over the last few years maize production has soared and demand for the cereal leapt from the east African country’s neighbours of Southern Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Kenya.
Uganda’s domestic corn consumption stands at an estimated 1.1 million tonnes.
“We distributed enormous amounts of good quality high-yielding seeds last year and fortunately weather was fairly good and the result was the bumper harvest that we saw,†he said.
“A significant portion of those seeds that we distributed were carried over and planted this year and since January the weather so far has been encouraging and these two factors will certainly push us to two million metric tonnes.â€
In 2009, Uganda experienced a scorching drought mid,year that significantly cut back output in most other crops, including coffee for which the country is Africa’s largest exporter.
Rains were plentiful though in the latter part of the year when much of the maize crop is produced.
Uganda recorded its best ever maize harvest in 2009, but farmers’ elation over their rich harvest was tempered by a steep drop in prices as traders flooded the market with supplies.
Okasai said the low prices were unlikely to cool farmer enthusiasm this year because of growing regional markets.
Reuters