Abstract:

Production of maize in Uganda has constantly been increasing since 1991. The bulk of the crop is shelled
using traditional methods, which cause high(lru(l*>ery, and results into products of low market value..
According to the Participatory Rural Appraisal survey conducted in 1995 by Agricultural Engineering and
Appropriated Technology Research Institute, AEATRI, lack of appropriate maize sheller was identified
among factors that impair this positive production (rend. Following the survey, AEATRI embarked on
developing a motorised maize shciler with a view to solving this problem. A proto-txpe was designed, fabricated
and tested on-station. This did not give expected results. It was bulky with low throughput (670kg/hr) and
rather expens?c. Major changes were made in its shelling mcchanisin to produce the second proto-type.
This was tested hoth on-station and on-farm mainly with Longe-I maize variety. There was significant
iniproveincnt in performance. Its output was 1 lon/hr of clean grain and fuel consumption was 1 h/ton of
clean grain. This proto-type was further improved. The on-slation and on-farm tests on tlic third proto-type
using Longc-1 maize variety yielded satisfactory results with an output of 1.25 tons/hr of clean grain with a
fuel consumption of 0.77 h/ton of clean grain. Shelling efficiency was 99.7% and unbroken <»rain was 2%.
After these tests, the institute has recommended that the third proto-type may now be released for mass
production