The Minister of State for Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Hon. Desire Muhoozi has faulted Soroti farmers over failure to utilise the aflatoxin removal machine.

The minister said this as she was responded Bukedea County Member of Parliament, Hon. David Okwere who said that 80 per cent of cereals being purchased by PELA commodities factory in Soroti contain aflatoxin.

Okwere said that the discovery was made during a recent visit to Soroti Industrial Park which houses PELA commodities, a factory that deals in value addition of cereals like millet and sorghum, among others. 
“What we learnt is that all the cereals which this factory is purchasing have got about 80 per cent of aflatoxins and this is a red flag that all the people in Teso Sub Region are consuming aflatoxins,” he said.

Okwere called for an intervention from the Ministry of Agriculture saying that if not mitigated, residents of Teso risk contracting cancer as a result of consuming aflatoxins.

The minister however, said that government invested in the aflatoxin removal machine in Teso sub region but it has been idle since 2018. 
“Ever since government availed the equipment according to your requirement, you have not been using it and right now the Uganda Development Corporation has taken on the responsibility to privatise it,” she said.

She called on leaders to encourage locals to utilise such equipment, once they are availed.

The Minister of State for Trade, Industry and Cooperative (Industry), Hon. David Bahati said he will coordinate with the Agriculture Ministry and send a technical team to Soroti to establish the facts on the ground.

Aflatoxins are poisonous and cancer-causing chemicals made by certain molds (Aspergillus fungi). They grow on staple food crops like corn, peanuts, tree nuts and grains especially in warm and humid areas.

Eating contaminated food can cause severe liver damage and long-term health issues.