Samuel Balagadde
5 October 2008
Kampala — SUGARCANE growers need a policy to protect them from exploitation by sugar manufacturers.
Wilberforce Kiwagama, the chairman of the Uganda National Association of Sugarcane Growers, said big sugar manufacturers are frustrating sugarcane outgrowers by paying them peanuts.
"Every sugar manufacturing company has its offer per tonnage, yet outgrowers incur the same costs," Kiwagama said during a national consultative workshop at their offices at Old Kampala.
He said Kinyara buys a tonne of sugarcane at sh32,500, Kakira sh38,000 and the Sugar Corporation of Uganda sh34,000.
Kiwagama said the prices were peanuts compared to what their counterparts in the neighbouring countries earn.
He said they were also being forced to move from the Ministry of Tourism, Trade and Industry to that of agriculture where they will directly be catered for in terms of loans as commercial farmers.
Kiwagama said Uganda's sugarcane industry is lagging behind in the East African Community, a situation that would severely affect the country' participation in the regional market.
"Sugar from outside the country is cheaper because of support of sugarcane farmers by the respective governments and sugar processing companies," he said.
The commercial sugarcane farmers include Kinyara Sugarcane Growers, Mukono Sugarcane Outgrower Cooperative Society and Busoga Sugarcane Growers Association.
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