Farmers with less than 10acres told to drop Sugarcane growing

By Francis Lubega

26^th Jan 2024

Farmers with less than 10 acres of land have been advised to abandon sugarcane growing and opt for high yield crops like fruits, hass avocado among others.

This has been revealed by the Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka while appearing before the Parliamentary Trade Committee chaired by Mwine Mpaka the Mbarara City South MP as they scrutinize the Sugar Amendment Bill 2023 which is aiming at creating sanity in the sugar industry.

Kiwanuka says small scale sugarcane growers will continue suffering and remain impoverished as they can’t compete with those growing on large scale.

Kiwanuka says the confusion and disorganization in the sugarcane industry needs to be tamed in the new amendment bill and the Government intends to set up a Stakeholder’s Council which will determine the minimum cost amount to farmers.

The Sugarcane Stakeholder’s Council is set to have nine members, where four will represent farmers, and the other four represent millers and a chairperson who will be appointed by the Minister of Trade to represent Government interests.

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