The MP for Kagoma county in Jinja, Frederick Mbagadhi Nkayi has warned that Busoga could be devastated by a famine in the future, if a shift from food crop to sugarcane farming in the region is not stopped.

The legislator raised the alarm on realizing that most farmers in Butagaya, Buyengo, Budondo and Buwenge sub-counties in Kagoma had switched to sugarcane growing.

Mbagadhi was concerned that some people, who had leased out their land to sugarcane farmers, were working as porters and shamba boys on the same land.

Apart from Kakira sugar factory, the region's farmers are now supporting Mayuge sugar factory as well as GM sugar and Kenlon in Bugiri, Kamuli sugar and Sugar and Allied industries in Kaliro, who are set to start production later this year.

Swaibu Waiswa, one of the prominent sugarcane farmers in Butagaya, blamed the shift to sugarcane on the government's failure to ensure high crop prices.