CHALLENGES FACED BY SMALL-SCALE LOCAL FABRICATORS AND MILLERS IN UGANDA: A CASE STUDY OF HAMMER MILL FABRICATORS AND USERS

The challenges and opportunities of locally fabricated agro-processing machinery in Uganda were studied. Review of secondary data sources and policies was complemented with key informant interviews, on-spot inspection and assessment, and photographic documentation. Majority of the small-scale fabricators and millers mentioned the cost of energy as their major challenge. Other challenges of fabricators included high costs of materials, unreliable power supply, lack of marketing skills, inadequate worker safety, lack of proper waste disposal and management, stiff competition from imported equipment, lack of business development services, and the low level of labor saving devises for the fabrication process. Breakdown of bearings was also observed as a major challenge not only to the millers but also fabricators. Majority of the type of steel alloy used for hammer fabrication was found to have low hardness value. And hammers had an average loss of ~11% of original hammer weight after milling 200 t of maize grain producing ~6.48 ppm t-1 of iron filings in the flour. Such wear can result in excessive accumulation of iron filings in the flour and be harmful to consumer health.