Danida has granted 8.8 million Danish kroner from the Danida Market Development Partnership Program to the Association Access2innovation for the implementation of a four-year project aimed at improving the living conditions of small-scale farmers in Uganda. The project is called the Integrated Grain Handling Project for rural communities in Uganda.
The improvement will be achieved by establishing 25 decentralized grain processing centers that combine three Danish technologies, each contributing in its own way to increasing income for farmers. In addition to increasing farmers’ earnings, the 25 grain processing centers are expected to create 500 new jobs, with at least half of them allocated to women and individuals under 25 years old.
The project funds have been granted to Access2innovation based on the established local network and experience as the Danish platform for innovative, sustainable, commercial solutions for African growth markets. The funds will primarily be used for training 3,000 farmers in Uganda in connection with the introduction of equipment developed by three Danish companies in collaboration with Access2innovation and with support from the European Regional Fund. These companies are:
- BM Silo, Holstebro, which produces small, flexible silo systems with built-in drying capacity, allowing the quick drying of harvested grain while preserving its quality.
- Buurholt, Brønderslev, which has developed a mobile seed cleaner that increases field yields by approximately 10 percent.
- Engsko A/S – United Milling Systems, Randers, which produces stone mills and complete milling systems for grinding grain. This technology allows the grinding of the whole grain, including the husk, at low temperatures, ensuring that all nutrients are utilized.
The Ugandan partners in the project include Opportunity International, an NGO with development projects in 22 countries, responsible for training farmers and cooperatives managing the decentralized grain processing centers. Additionally, the Ugandan company AG-Ploutus Ltd., engaged in the trade of grain and agricultural inputs in Uganda, and whose primary target audience is small farms and cooperatives, is participating in the project.