South Sudan Resumes Ugandan Maize Imports After Aflatoxin Concerns Resolved

South Sudan has made the decision to resume the export of Ugandan maize to the country.

The South Sudan Ambassador to Uganda, Simon Juach Deng, disclosed that following tests conducted by the South Sudan Bureau of Standards, SSBS, on the maize, it was confirmed to be free of aflatoxin.

The situation that had developed in May 2023, regarding the tests carried out by the South Sudan Bureau of Standards, where it was found that some of the consignments contained aflatoxins, has finally been resolved.

Juach Deng says the standards bureaus of both Uganda and South Sudan, in collaboration with the business community, worked together to resolve the issue.

Juach Deng highlighted that, since the South Sudan Bureau of Standards and the Uganda Bureau of Standards agreed to normalize the export of Uganda’s maize to South Sudan, business has resumed.

He explained that their findings revealed that some business operators in South Sudan were not purchasing maize from registered grain producers but rather buying from random markets. To address this, it was decided that maize entering South Sudan should be certified by the Uganda Bureau of Standards (UNBS), and this agreement has resulted in smooth trade operations.

“Business operators in south Sudan were not buying maize from registered grain producers but rather purchasing items from random markets” he stated

Furthermore, Juach Deng expressed South Sudan’s ambition to increase the trade volume from the current $600 million to $1 billion. He says since trading began approximately 17 years ago, following the end of border wars, the economies of border regions in South Sudan and Uganda have improved. He encouraged both the public and businesspeople in both countries to engage in ethical trading by ensuring the quality of goods being sold.

“Since we started trading about 17 years ago with the end of border wars, our border economies in south Sudan and Uganda have improved and we encourage the public and business people in both countries to trade ethically by selling the right goods” he said

He also assured that Uganda would prioritize security for the trade and dismissed concerns of insecurity. He labeled social media speculations about the safety of the Nimule-Juba road as propaganda meant to disrupt the economy and called on the government of South Sudan to identify and prosecute those spreading false information.