KIKUUBE– Hoima Sugar Limited has granted over 200 farmers a grace period of three months to harvest crops covering about 4370 acres before they vacate the land they had illegally occupied.
The 200 farmers are part of 20,000 people who had encroached on Hoima Sugar Limited land, cutting timber, and burning charcoal while others have grown maize, beans, and sorghum in the contested land.
The group was evicted from the land by the security forces in April this year after Hoima Sugar LTD management petitioned the government, demanding the removal of the encroachers from the land meant for sugarcane growing.
After the eviction of the encroachers, Hoima Sugar Limited management mobilized their machines and started cultivating the land and allegedly destroyed over 100 acres of crops.
The farmers who are said to own over 500 acres of crops such as maize, beans, and sorghum petitioned the office of Kikuube District Resident Commissioner [RDC] Amlan Tumusiime requesting to be given a grace period of at least six months to allow them to harvest their crops.
Since April, Kikuube RDC Tumusiime, Francis Kazini, the Buhaguzi County Member of Parliament, representatives of the farmers, and Kikuube District Speaker, Chris Nkalu, have been engaging the Hoima sugar Limited management until Tuesday when they finalized the negotiations that resulted into farmers being allowed to harvest their crops after they mature.
Representing his company, Ganesan Suresh the Hoima Sugar Estate Manager signed a Memorandum of Understanding [MoU] with the farmers. IThe MoU. The MoU to be observed for three months was witnessed by Tumusiime, Nkalu, and MP Kazini, among others.
The 22.4 square miles of land was offered to Hoima Sugar Limited by the Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom which leased the land to the company for of 99-years.
According to the MoU, the farmers were given up to August this year to harvest their crops and vacate the land. The farmers also committed themselves not to plant any new crops.
The Chairperson of Nyairongi village in Kabwoya Sub-county, Kikuube district Desire Nkurunziza expressed the excitement about the MoU, saying farmers were going to lose millions of money if the investor had denied them a chance to harvest their crops.
He noted that the farmers had planted over 4370 acres of maize and beans on the investors land, adding that about 100 acres had been destroyed by the investor.
RDC Tumusiime commended Hoima Sugar management for allowing the farmers to harvest their crops. He noted the signed MoU will promote peace, harmony, and co-existence between the farmers and the investor.
“The investor wanted to clear the crops and start planting sugarcane but when we approached him and requested him to allow the encroachers to harvest their crops he gave us a listening ear,” he said
Suresh challenged the farmers to respect the MoU, saying that political leaders pledged to ensure that the farmers do not breach the agreement.
MP Kazini said: “I am happy today that the investor [Hoima Sugar Limted] has accepted to sign the memorandum with the farmers. They are now going to harvest their crops and the investor will use his land peacefully.” He warned the residents to desist from being misled by leaders to encroach on the land.
https://thecooperator.news/farmers-beg-govt-to-extend-their-stay-on-hoima-sugar-limited-land/
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