Advancing rice milling efficiency and quality in Uganda

By Arelene Julia Malabayabas, Melanie Connor, Arielle Sandrine Rafanomezantsoa, Edgar Twine, Jane Nabikyu, and Ruvicyn Bayot

Rice is an important crop for Uganda's future. As the country's second most important cereal crop both in terms of production and caloric contribution, it plays a vital role in food security and sustains thousands of rural households. The rice milling industry serves as an important link between paddy producers and growing consumer demand. What influences millers' decisions? CGIAR Market Intelligence's recent survey uncovers compelling insights into millers' preferences, especially around rice varieties and grain quality.

The survey from August 2023, engaging 485 rice millers across Uganda, revealed grain quality as the top consideration, especially for those actively purchasing paddy. Millers consistently prioritize varieties known for:

• Early maturity and high yields
• Robust resistance to lodging and diseases
• Adaptability to diverse conditions, including drought, flooding, and nutrient deficiencies.

These preferred characteristics define key varieties like K85 (KAISO) in the Central and Eastern regions, K5 (KAISO 2) and K98 (KAISO 1) dominant in Eastern, Northern, and Central areas, and SUPA across Central, Northern, and Western Uganda. NERICA 1, 4, 10, Superica, and WITA 9 also feature prominently in the Western and Central regions (Figure 1). The specific varietal preferences reflect regional growing conditions and market demands.

Beyond variety, precise grain quality parameters are critical for milling suitability. These include:

• Moisture Content: A consistent 10-15% across all regions.
• Purity: Absence of organic impurities (Northern & Eastern) and inorganic matter like stones and dirt (Western).
• Physical Traits: Grain length, weight, uniformity, and color, which directly impact milled rice quality, market price, and overall marketability (Figure 2).

Figure 1: Rice varieties sourced or processed by millers by region in Uganda. Credit: CGIAR Market Intelligence.

Figure 2: Quality parameters considered when sourcing grains in Uganda. Credit: CGIAR Market Intelligence.

Modernizing Uganda's rice mills

To unlock higher quality milled rice and significant operational efficiencies, Uganda's milling sector is upgrading its technology. A shift is underway from traditional, rudimentary methods to more advanced machinery.

Currently, one-step mills dominate, especially in the Northern (96%), Western (76%), and Central (65%) regions. While efficient in producing polished white rice in a single pass by simultaneously removing husk and bran, these mills present a significant drawback: they are prone to higher grain breakage and inconsistent output quality.

The two-step milling process, prevalent in the Eastern region (70%), offers sequential husk and bran removal, allowing for intermediate brown rice production. Despite this, it often struggles with inefficient recovery rates and variable final product quality.

In contrast, multi-stage milling represents the gold standard. This sophisticated technology employs specialized machines (dehusker, polisher, grader) in successive operations. Its benefits are substantial: improved grain recovery, significantly reduced breakage, and enhanced uniformity, all critical for meeting international quality standards.

Despite these advantages, multi-stage milling remains severely underutilized, adopted by only 1-6% of millers, primarily medium- to large-scale operations. The barriers to wider adoption are clear:

• High capital investment and operating costs
• Lack of technical capacity and maintenance services
• Limited awareness among small-scale millers regarding its quality and efficiency benefits.

Yet, the potential for productivity gains and increased market competitiveness through this technological upgrade is immense. Realizing this potential will demand coordinated interventions including targeted policy support, financial assistance, and robust capacity-building programs.

Strengthening the supply chain

Beyond technology, reliable supply and efficient logistics are essential. Strong supplier relationships, built on trust and continuity in procurement, are particularly valued in the Central and Western regions. In the Western region, timely delivery is also a critical consideration for millers.

The origin of paddy also plays a role in Central, Eastern, and Western Uganda, often influencing perceptions of varietal purity and soil conditions. This highlights how distinct regional growing conditions directly impact the cultivated rice varieties and their inherent quality.

Improving supply chain coordination between farmers and millers could lead to significant gains in efficiency and quality consistency.

Strengthening coordination between farmers and millers is a strategic move to unlock Uganda's rice sector potential. Improved flow of information, inputs, and grain can boost efficiency, ensure consistent quality, and build resilience in laying the groundwork for broader transformation in line with Uganda's readiness for growth.

Uganda's rice milling sector is at a pivotal moment, poised for significant growth. With robust, agronomically suitable varieties and a dynamic network of small and medium-scale millers already in place, the path forward is clear: a decisive transition to higher-efficiency milling, a commitment to superior grain quality, and robust strengthening of upstream supply chain linkages from farmers to input suppliers and millers.

Realizing this immense potential will require coordinated, strategic efforts across research, extension services, policy formulation, and private sector investment. By working together, we can elevate Uganda's rice industry to new heights of productivity, quality, and market competitiveness.

Resources

• Kunihiro, T., Yusuke, H., Tatsushi, T., Asea, G., & Kikuchi, M. (2014). Evolution and prospects of the rice mill industry in Uganda. African Journal of Agricultural Research. 9. 2560-2573. 10.5897/AJAR2014.8837., and also Munyona, S., Okaka, W. (2023). The Transition of Rice Milling Technology in Uganda Adopting Rice Milling Technology Innovations.
• Hong, Soonsung & Hwang, Seongsoo & Lamo, Jimmy & Doreen, Nampamya & Park, Tae-Seon & 홍순성, & 황성수, · & 라모, · & 도린, · & 박태선 , · & 국외농업기술과, 농촌진흥청 & 우간다센터, Kopia. (2021). The Current Status of Opportunities for Rice Cultivation in Uganda 우간다 벼 재배 현황 및 발전 가능성. Journal of the Korean Society of International Agriculture. 33. 67-74.10.12719/KSIA.2021.33.1.67
• Palladium. (2020). Enhancing Rice Productivity in Northern Uganda: A NU-TEC MD Case Study. UK Department for International Development. Retrieved from beamexchange.org

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This work contributes to CGIAR Breeding for Tomorrow (B4T) Science Program through its Market Intelligence Area of Work.