Government to destroy 456 consignments of grains

By Adia Jildo

South Sudan government said they would dump and destroy 456 consignments of grains, which failed the standard test of aflatoxin at Nimule border.

In May, Bureau of standards subjected samples of grains from 387 trucks which 63 trucks failed the test.

Mary Mourtat, the Chief Executive Director for the Bureau of standard said the confiscated grains had too high level of aflatoxin up to 20, harmful for the human consumption and cannot be allowed to enter the country.

“We are protecting our consumers from this because it does not reach standards. We have not just detained the truck for a very simple reason but the level of aflatoxin is very dangerous especially B1 is very dangerous and cancerous,” he said. “ The government came up with the decision that this 63 trucks, we are condemning them and they need to be destroyed.”

The government said they would not return the grains back in the hands of the authorities from the demanding country as they have already failed to detect the errors in the goods.

 “The government has decided to dump them and destroy them. We cannot allow them to go back to where they are going back to, or to be consumed by us or even to be consumed by our brothers in the neighboring countries. We will release the truck drivers accordingly. But the procedure for dumping is going to be done accordingly so that no body get affected,” she said.

Mary called on traders to consult, register with the bureau of standards before importing goods as this could cost them and the whole procedure to participate in the procedure for transparency.

Government threatens to destroy any products that do not meet the standards of the East African and the Regional standard market.