1 
 MAIZE QUALITY BILL, 2016 
 
ARRANGEMENT OF CLAUSES 
 
Clause            
 
PART I - PRELIMINARY 
 
1.    Short title 
 
2.   Commencement 
 
3.   Interpretation 
 
4.  Application 
 
5.  Objectives 
PART II – PROPER AGRONOMIC PRACTICES FOR  
MAIZE FARMING 
 
6.  Planting maize 
7.  Thinning maize plants 
8.  Weeding of maize plants 
9.  Fertilizers 
10.  Pests and diseases 
11.  Harvesting and post-harvest handling of maize 
12.  Drying maize on the ground 
13.  Use of herbicides on maize 
14.  Selling wet maize grains 
 
PART III – REGULATING BUSINESS IN MAIZE 
 
15.  Registration of maize millers  
16.  Maize milling guidelines 
17.  Trading licence 
18.  Licences for maize dealers 
19.  Agro-inputs dealers’ licence 
20.  Role of the extension worker 2 
 21.  Transportation of maize grains and products 
22.  General penalty 
 
                                    PART IV – MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS 
 
23.  District Maize Marketing Committee 
24.  Obstruction of a person implementing this Ordinance  
25.  Contamination of maize produce 
26.  Appeal 
27.  Implementation of the Ordinance 
28.  Financing the implementation of the Ordinance 
29.  Regulations 
30.  Amendment  
 
 3 
  
DRAFT OF A BILL  
FOR AN ORDINANCE 
ENTITLED 
MAIZE QUALITY ORDINANCE, 2016 
 
(Made under section 38 of the Local  Government Act , Cap 243) 
BE IT ORDAINED by the Council of the District of Mu bende as follows: 
 
 
 
 
Short title  PART I – PRELIMINARY 
 
1.  This Ordinance may be cited as the Maize Quality Or dinance, 2016.  
 
Commencement  2.  This Ordinance shall come into force on the date of  publication in the 
official Gazette.  
 
Interpretation  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 3.  In this Ordinance, unless the context otherwise req uires, 
“agro-chemicals” includes fertilizers, crop protect ion products and 
herbicides; 
 
“Council” means Mubende District Local Government C ouncil; 
 
“court” means a court presided over by a Magistrate ; 
 
 “currency point” is equivalent to twenty thousand shillings; 
 
“district”   means Mubende District; 
 
“extension worker” includes an agricultural officer ; 
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Application “Ministry” means the Ministry responsible for agric ulture; 
 
“offence” means an act, attempt or omission punisha ble by law. 
 
4.  This Ordinance applies to the whole of Mubende Dist rict. 
 
Objectives  5.  The objectives of this Ordinance are: 
(a)  to improve proper agronomics for maize farming; 
(b)  to regulate harvest and post-harvest handling by fa rmers; 
(c)  to regulate maize and other related maize-value add ition 
practices; 
(d)  to provide for licensing of maize dealers in the di strict; 
(e)  to improve food security in the district and the co untry as a 
whole; 
(f)  to protect the health of consumers; 
(g)  to regulate the use of agro-chemicals in maize farm ing; 
(h)  to improve the marketability of maize as a food and  cash crop; 
and 
(i)  to improve the income of the people in the district . 
 
 
 
 
 
Planting maize  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 PART II – PROPER AGRONOMIC PRACTICES FOR  
MAIZE FARMING 
 
6.  (1) A person shall plant maize preferably at the st art of a rainy season. 
 
(2)  A person shall plant maize by hand, animal plough o r machine. 
 
(3)  Where an animal plough is used to plant the maize, the person 
shall plant maize seeds after the plough. 
 
(4)  Where the planting of maize seeds is done by hand o r machine, a 5 
 farmer shall follow the recommended spacing for the  variety of 
maize he or she is planting.  
Thinning maize plants  
 7.  A farmer shall, when the maize plants are ten centi metres in height, thin 
the maize by leaving one to two plants per hole.  
 
Weeding maize plants 
 8.  (1) A farmer shall, after four weeks of planting ma ize, weed the maize 
 plants to control weeds and may repeat the weeding  when the weeds 
 re-occur.  
(2)  Notwithstanding subsection (1) of this section, a f armer may, 
with the direction of an agricultural specialist, u se a herbicide to 
control weeds in a maize garden. 
(3)  Where herbicides are used under subsection (2) of t his section, 
the person using the herbicide shall ensure that on ly 
recommended herbicides are used. 
(4)  In this section, “recommended herbicide” means a he rbicide 
recommended by the Ministry from time to time. 
 
Fertilizers  9.  (1)     A person who grows maize may use the recomm ended fertilizers 
     or manure. 
 
(2)  Where a farmer uses manure, the farmer shall use fa rm yard 
manure as it gives highest yields and does not dest roy the soil 
structure or pollute the environment. 
 
(3)  The Council shall, periodically and in conformity w ith national 
directives, issue guidelines on the use of fertiliz ers in the district.  
 
Pests and diseases 10.  (1) A farmer may, with the guidance of an agricultu ral officer, use 
 recommended agro-chemicals to control any pests af fecting his or 
 her maize crop. 
 
(2)  A farmer may use proper measures such as manur ing, crop  rotation, 6 
 closed season and early planting to control disease s  affecting his or 
her maize crop. 
 
      (3) The Council shall periodically, issue gui delines setting out the 
 recommended agro-chemicals for the control of pest s and diseases 
 affecting maize. 
 
(4)  A person who contravenes subsection (1) of this sec tion commits 
an offence and shall, on conviction, be liable to a  fine of two 
currency points or imprisonment for a term not exce eding two 
months or both. 
 
(5)  Where an outbreak of pests or diseases occurs in a person’s maize 
crop, the person shall report the outbreak to the l ocal government 
council of the place where the outbreak has occurre d. 
 
(6)  A person who contravenes subsection (6) of this sec tion commits 
an offence and shall, on conviction, be liable to a  fine of two 
currency points or imprisonment for a term not exce eding two 
months or both. 
 
(7)  Where an outbreak of pests or diseases is reported under 
subsection (6), the Council and the relevant local government 
council shall ensure that farmers are informed of t he outbreak 
immediately. 
 
(8)  In addition to informing farmers under subsection ( 7), the 
Council and the relevant local government shall ens ure that the 
appropriate control measures are taken to control t he outbreak. 
 
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 Harvesting and post- 
harvest handling of 
maize 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Drying maize on the 
ground 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Use of herbicides on 
maize 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 11.  (1)  A farmer shall leave maize for grain purposes to dry on the cob or     
   stalks in the garden until such a time when the cob turns   
   downwards or until the cob is dry. 
(2)  A person shall not slash wet maize strands and leav e them to dry 
on the ground in the maize field or garden. 
 
(3)  When maize is dry, the farmer shall remove the cobs  and store 
them in a crib, granary or appropriate store.  
 
(4)  A farmer may harvest maize by  
(a)  hand by removing the dried cobs from the stalks, 
(b)   combine harvesters or  
(c)  any other method. 
 
(5)  A farmer shall dry maize on a tarpaulin, crib, carp et or concrete 
floor before storing the maize in silos, cribs, gra naries or any 
other appropriate storage facility. 
 
12.  (1) A person shall not dry maize directly on the gr ound. 
 
(2)  A person who contravenes the provision of subs ection (1) of this 
 section commits an offence and is liable, on convi ction, to a fine of 
 two currency points or community service for three  months or 
 both. 
 
13.  (1) A person shall not use herbicides to dry or spe ed up the drying of 
 maize. 
(2) A person who contravenes the provision of subse ction (1) of this 
 section commits an offence and is liable, on convi ction, to a fine of 
 two currency points or imprisonment for five month s or both. 
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Selling wet maize 
grains 14.   (1)  A person shall not sell, buy or grind maize g rains with moisture 
 content above 14 per cent or such other moisture c ontent prescribed 
 by the Council or the Ministry. 
 
(2)  A person who contravenes the provision of subs ection (1) of this 
 section commits an offence and is liable, on convi ction, to a fine of 
 five currency points or imprisonment for three mon ths or both. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Registration of maize 
millers 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Maize milling 
guidelines 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 PART III – REGULATING BUSINESS IN MAIZE 
 
 
15.  (1) A person shall not operate a maize grinding mil l unless he or she has 
obtained a licence from the Council.  
 
(2)  A person shall not operate a maize grain or fl our business unless he 
 or she has registered and paid a fee prescribed by  the Council. 
 
(3) The Council shall not consider an application f or a licence under this 
 section unless the application is accompanied by a  recommendation 
 from a Local Councillor and a trader’s organisatio n.    
 
16.  (1) Every maize miller operating in the district sh all abide by the 
 guidelines for the milling and storage of maize is sued by the Council 
 or Ministry from time to time. 
(2)  Without prejudice to the generality of subsect ion (1) of this section, 
 the guidelines shall deal with 
(a)  storage requirements; 
(b)  appropriate fumigation of mills; 
(c)  appropriate blades of the grinding mill;  
(d)  replacement of worn out blades in a grinding mill; and 
(d)  other related matters. 9 
  
 
Trading licence   
17.  The Council shall not issue a trading license to a person who mills 
maize but has not registered with the Council. 
 
Licence for maize 
dealers  18.  (1)  A person shall not carry out maize business on  a large scale in the  
  district unless the person has obtained a licence  from the Council. 
 
(2)  A maize dealer shall apply for and obtain the maize  business 
licence after payment of the fee prescribed by the Council. 
 
(3)  Every maize dealer in the district shall display hi s or her license 
in a prominent and conspicuous place in his or her place of 
business or premises. 
 
(4)  Every maize dealer in the district shall abide by t he guidelines on 
moisture content in maize and hygiene standards to be maintained 
which are periodically issued by the Council. 
 
(5)  In this section, unless the context otherwise requi res, “maize 
dealer” includes a person who buys or sells maize o n a 
commercial scale either as a retailer or wholesaler . 
 
Agro-inputs dealer’s 
licence 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Role of the extension 
worker  19.  (1) A person shall not operate an agro-inputs busin ess in the district 
 unless he or she has registered with the Council a nd obtained an 
 agro-inputs license after payment of the fee presc ribed by the 
 Council. 
 
(2)  Every agro-inputs dealer shall abide by the guideli nes issued by 
the Council or the Ministry.  
 
20.  (1)  A district extension worker shall  10 
 (a)  sensitize farmers and maize dealers on the provisio ns of this 
Ordinance; and 
(b)  sensitize farmers, agro-input dealers and maize dea lers on the 
guidelines issued under this Ordinance. 
 
     (2)  The District Production Committee shall m onitor the work of the 
 extension workers in the district. 
 
Transportation of 
maize grains and 
products  21.  A person shall transport maize and maize products i n a leak-proof and 
dust-free condition and in accordance with guidelin es issued by the 
Council or the Ministry. 
 
General penalty  22.  (1) A person who contravenes any provision of this Ordinance for which 
a specific penalty is not provided commits an offen ce and shall, on 
conviction, be liable to a fine of two currency poi nts or imprisonment 
for two months or both. 
 
(2)  A court which convicts a person under subsection (1 ) shall in 
addition to the penalty imposed, revoke the license  of the person 
convicted. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
District Maize 
Marketing Committee  
PART IV – MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS 
 
 
23.  The Council shall establish a Maize Quality Committ ee comprising the 
District Commercial Officer and representatives of maize millers, 
traders, farmers, consumers and one representative from each sub-
country. 
 
 
Obstruction of a 
person implementing 
this Ordinance  
 24.  A person who hinders or obstructs a person discharg ing functions under 
this Ordinance commits an offence and is liable, on  conviction, to a fine 
of two currency points or imprisonment not exceedin g three months or 11 
  
 
 
 
Contamination of 
maize produce 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 both. 
 
25.  (1) A person who grows or deals in maize in the di strict shall not 
 contaminate the maize produce with stones, dust, a nimal or poultry 
 waste, rubbish or any other kind of contaminant. 
 
(2)  A person who contravenes subsection (1) of this sec tion commits 
an offence and is liable, on conviction, to a fine of two currency 
points or community service for one month.  
 
(3)  The court may, in addition to the penalty imposed u nder this 
section, order for the destruction of the contamina ted maize at the 
expense of the convict. 
Appeal 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Implementation of the 
Ordinance 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Financing the 
implementation of the 
Ordinance 
 
 
 
 
Regulations 
 
 
 
 
 
Amendment  26.  Any person aggrieved by a decision made under this Ordinance 
may, within fourteen days of the decision, appeal t o the Chief 
Magistrate’s Court or the High Court. 
 
27.  The Council shall, in collaboration with the other lower local 
governments and administrations, ensure that the pr ovisions of this 
Ordinance are implemented.  
 
28.  The Council shall make budgetary provisions for the  
implementation of this Ordinance.  
 
29.  The Council may, by statutory instrument, make regu lations or 
guidelines for the implementation of this Ordinance . 
 
30.  The Council may, through the appropriate rules of p rocedure, amend 
any provision of this Ordinance. 
 
 
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Passed by Mubende District Council on the ......... ....... day of ...................20...... 
 
I HEREBY signify my hand this.................day o f ...................... 20.......... 
 
 
 
Chairperson, Mubende District.