Uganda scientists created a new weapon against deadly crop poisons that have hurt the country's food sales. The research team at NARO built something called Aflasafe to fight dangerous toxins that grow on maize and groundnuts. Kenya and South Sudan banned Ugandan corn because these harmful substances made the grain unsafe to eat. The poison comes from nasty fungi that live in soil and attack crops when they start making seeds. Farmers across the region have lost millions of dollars because buyers refuse their contaminated harvests.
The new product works like a shield that protects plants from toxic fungi before they can cause damage. Scientists apply Aflasafe to fields about three weeks before flowers appear on crops. The treatment contains good fungi that beat up the bad ones and stop them from making poison. Ashraf Migadde from NARO says the safe fungi crowd out the dangerous ones that create toxins. The result gives farmers clean crops that meet strict safety rules for export markets.
Government officials have given Aflasafe the green light and expect it to hit the market soon. Dr Paul Mwambu from the agriculture ministry tested the product and approved it for use. He believes this breakthrough will make Uganda a stronger competitor in regional grain trading. Farmers still need to dry and store their crops properly to keep them safe after harvest. The innovation represents a major step forward for Uganda's agricultural export strategy.
The new product works like a shield that protects plants from toxic fungi before they can cause damage. Scientists apply Aflasafe to fields about three weeks before flowers appear on crops. The treatment contains good fungi that beat up the bad ones and stop them from making poison. Ashraf Migadde from NARO says the safe fungi crowd out the dangerous ones that create toxins. The result gives farmers clean crops that meet strict safety rules for export markets.
Government officials have given Aflasafe the green light and expect it to hit the market soon. Dr Paul Mwambu from the agriculture ministry tested the product and approved it for use. He believes this breakthrough will make Uganda a stronger competitor in regional grain trading. Farmers still need to dry and store their crops properly to keep them safe after harvest. The innovation represents a major step forward for Uganda's agricultural export strategy.
