Stakeholders Seek to Harmonise Grain Trade Standards

{{Harmonising standards in the vast regional grain trade would contain inconsistencies in prices and thus improve competitiveness of locally produced goods.}}

This has been revealed in a study conducted by the Eastern Africa Grain Council (EAGC) and the USAID East Africa Trade HUB (EARTH) presented to stakeholders at a three-day regional meeting, taking place in Uganda.

Lack of harmonised standards forces buyers and traders to set their own standards in order to create the producer-buyer relationship leading to inconsistencies regarding grades and standards from country to country within Eastern Africa.

According to a statement, “This often marginalises producers, drives down farm gate prices and drives up costs for traders and processors making locally produced goods uncompetitive.”

Stakeholders attending the meeting are expected to consider the EAS 2013 staple foods standards and how it can be implemented so it can be applied by the concerned parties to increase intra-regional trade.

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