MASINDI– Sugarcane farmers in the country will soon have a national association that brings together farmers from the different sub-regions of Bunyoro, Busoga, Northern Uganda, and the Central region.
Days ago leaders representing sugarcane farmers’ associations and cooperatives converged at Kolping Hotel in Masindi town where they proposed to come together under the National Association of Sugarcane Growers in Uganda [NASGU], which they said would be registered.
They also formed a steering committee that will work to have the association formalised. The committee will be coordinated by Robert Atugonza, the chairperson of Masindi district Sugarcane Out-growers Association Limited [MASGAL].
Atugonza will be assisted by Jimmy Mudhungu Patrick from Busoga region, Kitara Ojwiya from Northern Uganda, and Benjamin Byaruhanga from Bunyoro. They promised to get a representative for the Buganda region at a later time.
The committee was tasked to formulate articles of association, conduct consultative meetings in all the four regions, as well as to formulate a work plan and its budget.
Speaking to theCooperator News, Atugonza noted that they would use the national forum to easily lobby and advocate for the intervention on the issues that affect sugarcane farmers.
“The forum is going to be made up of eight associations and eight cooperatives. Through this forum, we are going to demand for our shares as sugarcane farmers, push for the operationalization of the sugar board, push for the good pricing for sugarcane among others. As sugarcane farmers, we are going through a lot of challenges and now we have realised that they can be addressed when we are united at the national level,” Atugonza explained.
Atugonza said leaders from the different associations would reconvene at a later date to come out with the final paperwork for the new national association.
Challenges
Different sugarcane farmers have identified delayed payment, delayed harvesting of cane, and low prices, as the most pressing issues.
“For us the sugarcane farmers in Kikuube district, we are paid after four to six months. Our burnt cane is also no longer taken,” lamented Francis Max Isingoma the chairperson of Hoima sugarcane Out-growers.
Recently, Kenneth Kiiza Nyendwoha, the Member of Parliament for Bujenje County while debating in Parliament asked government to help sugarcane farmers get better prices for their cane
He explained that the price for sugar has increased but the price for sugarcane has remained the same, wondering how the farmers will survive in the business.
He asked government to give sugarcane farmers a subsidy on agro-input products like fertilisers.
https://thecooperator.news/masindi-district-lcv-rallies-sugarcane-farmers-to-form-cooperatives/
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