The majority of Rwandan maize is sold into low-value, low-quality markets due to an inability to distinguish between the high- and low-quality grain. Local markets lack affordable quality testing for maize which is meanwhile considered untouchable by commercial agri-processors offering premium pricing.
The IFC in partnership with Vanguard Economics is piloting mobile lab called AflaKiosk to provide free quality testing services at Rwandan maize markets. This will allow traders and farmers to determine the quality of their grain and potentially access premium markets where prices are higher.
Aflatoxin presents a major challenge to maize markets in Rwanda and safety for consumers
Maize is a staple crop and key food and feed ingredient in Rwanda. Maize is susceptible to contamination by the invisible and potent carcinogen, Aflatoxin. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that over 500 million people in sub-Saharan Africa are exposed to its serious long-term health effects, including liver cancer, stunting, and even acute toxicosis in children. Challenges around aflatoxin include:
- Aflatoxin flourishes during post-harvest handling, and is invisible to the naked human eye, making it difficult for farmers to prevent. Once it’s present, it is currently untreatable.
- The prevalence of aflatoxin has left food and feed processors struggling to source high-quality maize locally. Instead, they rely on costly imported crops or similarly costly techniques to prevent the growth of aflatoxin throughout the maize value chain.
- The limited scalability of these preventative methods excludes thousands of farmers and their crops. A large proportion of Rwanda’s maize production, therefore, falls into informal, local markets without formal quality testing. Suppliers lose more than 30% in potential value here, equivalent to more than $100 USD per ton. Low incomes, and resulting low-yield production contribute to 60% of Rwanda’s population facing marginal to severe food insecurity.
- Much of this maize, however, may be suitable for higher-value markets. Lack of affordable, quality testing services prevents them from accessing these markets.
AflaKiosk is a fast, accurate and free way to measure maize quality – including quantitative levels of alfatoxin
New mobile testing labs, called ‘AflaKiosks’ are now providing free quality testing services at Rwandan maize markets. An IFC initiative implemented by Vanguard Economics, AflaKiosks will allow traders and farmers to determine the quality of their grain before selling. The key features of AfkaKiosk are:
- AflaKiosk is a mobile service accessible to all maize markets and suppliers in the country. The specially trained team are able sample, test, and grade maize within forty minutes.
- Once a result is out, AflaKiosk users can leverage their results to access higher-value markets. Maize with an aflatoxin level safe for human consumption is suitable for the highest-value markets, including local food processors Africa Improved Foods and Minimex. Maize with a presence of aflatoxin not safe for human consumption is most likely safe for animal consumption and therefore suitable for feed markets including Zamura Feeds, Uzima Chicken and ProDev. Access to these markets can present a supplier with an income increase of up to 30%, whilst offering premium food- and feed- markets with an increased quantity of the high-quality crop. AflaKiosk supports users in accessing these markets and monitors prices to support users in decision-making.
- By reconnecting maize to higher-value buyers, AflaKiosk helps improve market reliability, reduce costly imports, and incentivize greater investments in the maize value chain, from yield improvement to the production of new and nutritious maize-based food products.
By reconnecting maize to higher-value buyers, AflaKiosk helps improve market reliability, reduce costly imports, and incentivize greater investments in the maize value chain, from yield improvement to the production of new and nutritious maize-based food products.
In the near future, AflaKiosk will also be connecting users to quality-enhancing services including sorting, cleaning, and drying services.
Aflakiosk can improve food safety and increase quantities of quality maize available on the premium market
Aflakiosk will serve mainly in reducing consumption of aflatoxin-contaminated maize products that affecting humans and livestock and additionally, it will put in place a consistent supply of safe and affordable raw material to food processing businesses while increasing the quantities of maize managed and stored under best practices.
As a result, this will increase access to the high-quality maize within the country as well as in the neighboring countries. By improving the quality of local maize, health and nutrition status of the consumers will be improved.