Cimbria marks completion of Kigumba grain facility in Uganda
The new Cimbria-equipped drying and storage plant enables NEC to harvest, clean, dry, and safely store maize in record time.
UGANDA – Cimbria is celebrating the successful delivery of a state-of-the-art grain drying and storage facility in Kigumba, Uganda, marking a key milestone in its efforts to support climate-resilient grain systems across East Africa.
The project underscores the role of modern post-harvest technology in reducing losses, protecting grain quality and strengthening national food security at a time of growing climate pressure.
According to Cimbria, the project was developed under Cimbria’s Solutions Together approach, which integrates technical planning, 3D design, installation and long-term aftercare.
Initial discussions began in 2019, with designs refined to meet NEC’s operational needs and future growth plans. Installation was completed in 2025.
Technically, the Kigumba facility includes a 30 tonnes-per-hour intake and cleaning section, a 15 tonnes-per-hour continuous drying line and three 2,000-metric-tonne silos dedicated to maize.
The plant is connected to a maize mill via a belt conveying system and supported by an automated temperature monitoring system to safeguard grain quality during storage.
Cimbria supplied belt conveyors GT400, bucket elevators EC8, a Delta 143.1 pre-cleaner, a BEG10 continuous dryer, a Cimbria temperature monitoring system, an aspirator cleaner CR163-04 and associated grain handling components.
The layout allows for future expansion, with space reserved for an additional processing line and three 3,000-metric-tonne silos.
“In our quest to get the best, quality comes first. We wanted equipment that will serve the enterprise long after I am gone. That is why we chose Cimbria as our preferred supplier,” said Simon Terwane, managing director of NEC Agro SMC Ltd.
In Uganda, post-harvest accounts for an estimated 18% of its grain each year, about 2.8 million tonnes—largely due to inadequate drying and storage infrastructure.
Cimbria’s involvement in the Kigumba project directly addresses this challenge.
Delivered in partnership with Uganda’s National Enterprise Corporation (NEC) through its NEC Agro SMC subsidiary, the facility provides industrial-scale grain handling capacity in a region where modern post-harvest services have been limited.
The site is located around 200 km north of Kampala and serves key maize-producing areas in Western and Northern Uganda.
Uganda’s changing rainfall patterns are forcing farmers to harvest maize earlier, often at unsafe moisture levels.
Without immediate drying, grain is vulnerable to spoilage, microbial growth and mycotoxin contamination, reducing both food safety and market value.
The Cimbria-equipped facility enables rapid intake, cleaning, drying and safe storage of maize, shifting operations from loss mitigation to value preservation.
“Storage facilities in this area were scarce. We are excited about the initiative and plan to engage NEC for cleaning and drying services from our farms,” said Mr. Robert Tamare, Asili Farms.
The Kigumba installation is one of three facilities along the Kampala–Gulu corridor, a strategic trade route linking Uganda’s grain-producing regions with markets in South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Together, these sites form a network designed to support regional grain trade and improve supply chain resilience.
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