In Uganda, maize-breeding efforts were focused on food security, mainly to develop varieties tolerant of biotic stress. These stresses, appearing on average every 5 years, have included maize streak virus (MSV) in 1985, turcicum leaf blight (TLB) in 1989 and gray leaf spot (GLS) in 1994. These situations were solved by developing resistant varieties like Longe 1, Longe 4, Longe 2H, Longe 6H, Longe 7H and Longe 8H. Beginning in 2002, constraints were coupled with market demands of emerging seed and grain industries wanting to export. They made specific recommendations aimed towards higher standards. Objectives included breeding for the traits desired for export and for resistance to new stresses. The demands for export were for snow-white grain with flint or semi-flint texture, low in mycotoxins. The new varieties should be resistant to weevils, to all diseases already in Uganda (MSV, TLB, GLS), and to new diseases like ear rot. This was achieved by screening all germplasm at hand and using the resistant lines to develop three new candidate hybrids in Uganda. These hybrids, as well as meeting export market demands, are drought tolerant and efficient in their use of nitrogen. They all have tight ear-tip cover, which helps restrict weevils from entering the ear in the field, and are resistant to weevils for up to 3 months, even under heavy presence of the pest. Their yield potential is up to 10 t ha–1. New lines have been developed by recycling those resistant to ear rot and maize grain weevil; 15 inbreed lines have been observed to be resistant across the board—to foliar diseases, grain weevils and the two ear rot species found in Uganda.