Abstract:

The urban and peri urban population provide niche industry, doniina. -i: Uganda. The local rice
to meet quality
requirements of quality-sensiiive consumers. Due to lack of hiformadon on physical quality and
safety of the locally grov/n
processed rice, informed decision making on investments in the
sector has been compromised. Using standard analytical and physical methods, local paddy and
milled rice main varieties (NERICA 4. Kaiso and Supa) sampled from ail major rice growing
districts of Uganda were assessed for quality and safety. The results showed that paddy supplied
to rice millers exhibited low quality characteristics exemplified by fissure levels of 60%, foreign
matter of 6.1%, moisture content of 10.6% and aflatoxin contamination of 18 pbb. Similarly,
milled rice obtained from different parts of the country and processed by cotiage mills exhibited
low market value namely; aflatoxin up to 19.5 ppb, 64.3% broken grain, 0.8% foreign matter and
0.06% rancidity. Although rice available on the market was fairly safe for consumption, the
physical quality which determines the price tag required urgent improvement. Hence the need
for measures to improve post-harvest handling and processing technologies for smallholder
farmers and cottage mills