Background <p>Compliance with maize grades and standards remains a significant challenge in Uganda, particularly among smallholder farmers. Despite the guidelines established by the East African Grain Council, adherence within local markets remains limited. Understanding the factors that influence the awareness and adoption of maize grading is crucial for enhancing market quality and improving farmer incomes. This study examined the determinants of smallholder farmers’ awareness, utilization, and intensity of use of recommended maize grades and standards in northern Uganda.</p> Methods <p>Primary data were collected from 270 farmers through a cross-sectional survey using multistage sampling. Probit regression and the Heckman two-stage econometric model were used to identify factors influencing farmers’ awareness, adoption, and degree of compliance with maize grading standards.</p> Results <p>The results indicated that awareness and utilization of maize grades and standards were generally low, with only 40.4% of farmers aware of the recommended grading system and 31.1% actively utilizing it. The key factors influencing awareness included education, gender (male), access to extension services, access to credit, and membership in farmer associations. Farmers’ use of maize grades and standards was positively associated with awareness and access to extension services but negatively affected by proximity to markets and membership in farmer groups. The intensity of use was significantly influenced by household size, land size for production, age, and awareness.</p> Conclusions <p>The findings underscore the need for targeted interventions to boost farmers’ awareness and access to grading services, including integrating maize-grading training into agricultural advisory programs, scaling up credit access, and establishing local grading stations closer to farms. Such measures would enhance maize quality, expand market participation, and increase smallholder incomes.</p> Clinical trial number <p>Not applicable.</p>