Sugarcane out growers sruggle to acquire selling permits from SCOUL

 Kayunga, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT  |  More than 300 out-growers in Kayunga district are stuck with their canes  after failing to acquire selling and transportation permits from the Sugar Corporation of Uganda Limited-SCOUL. 

SCOUL introduced the system of giving out loans to farmers who wanted to start growing sugarcane in 2001 to increase on its quantity. According to the contracts signed with farmers they agreed to receive a tractor for clearing the garden, sugarcane seedlings and shillings 250, 000 per every acre for maintenance. 

The Chairperson of Kayunga Sugarcane out Grower’s Association Patrick Nsereko reveals that the working relationship between SCOUL and the farmers has been good until 2016 when SCOUL started restricting permits. 

Currently farmers are worried about the accumulating loans after taking about four seasons without harvesting, some have burnt down their plantations and resorted to grow crops such as maize and rice. 

Moses Muyingo one of the affected farmers at Bulyankuyege local Council-LCI in Kayunga Rural Sub County attributes the problem to the accumulated big plantations owned by workers within Scoul. 

Another farmer Prossy Kasolo says they secured a loan from Scoul to start growing sugarcanes but has taken two years without harvesting them after failing to secure transportation and selling permits from SCOUL.

Steven Nyero the Officer at Scoul in -charge sugar plantations at Kayunga District notes that when the number of suppliers increased they advised farmers to form clusters to sell their sugarcane but they are insisting on selling as individuals. 

“Those farmers know what to do, we have guided them several times about the proper channel of selling their sugar but are not responding,” Nyero says.

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