September 23, 2010

Uganda's 2010-11 corn output to go 11% up on-year

Uganda's 2010-11 (March-February) corn output is forecasted to rise by at least 11% on-year due to favourable weather conditions and good distribution of farming inputs across the country, Opolot Okasai said Wednesday (Sep 22).

Okasai, the head of Uganda's Crop Production and Marketing department, said Uganda's 2010-11 corn output is expected to hit two million tonnes compared with 1.8 million tonnes produced last year aided by timely and well distributed rains across the country's main growing regions as well as improved crop husbandry methods.

"We distributed enough hybrid seeds across the country and just like last year, the weather has been favourable. With local corn consumption estimated at around 800,000 tonnes a year, the country expects to register excess corn output for the second season running, which is exported mainly to regional markets such as Eastern Congo, South Sudan, Kenya, Rwanda and Burundi," Okasai said.

The World Food Program, Uganda's largest single corn buyer, is also expected to step up corn purchases this season. Last season, the WFP purchased up to 200,000 tonnes of Ugandan corn.

In the 2009-10 season, Uganda registered a 43% growth in corn output on the year following a bumper harvest. However, increased production caused farmgate corn prices to drop by over 50%. The government since then has been implementing programmes aimed at stabilising corn prices.

In addition to the favourable weather, the return of relative peace to northern Uganda has led to the resumption of farming activities for crops like corn, boosting agricultural output as a whole, industry officials said.