Out growers in Masindi District are until now stuck with their sugarcane after fire burnt their plantations in March this year.
The March 12 fire that affected more than 2,500 out growers who supply Kinyara Sugar Works with sugarcane destroyed thousands of hectares of the crop leaving the farmers desperately financially incapacitated.
Some affected farmers who spoke to Kazi-njema News say although they approached the management of Kinyara Sugar Works to act on their sugarcane, they are yet to be helped since the action taken remains incomplete.
Mr Charles Ndozireho, a sugarcane out grower says that having informed Kinyara Sugar Works of his burnt 136 hectares of the crop, the company sent the cutters who bundled the sugarcane and left it in the plantation.
He says that up to now, the sugarcane worth Shs450m lies in the garden without being collected.
Mr William Kamanyire, an out grower from Kibbali village in Bwijanga sub-county also says that although Kinyara Sugar Works sent casual labourers and cut his burnt sugarcane worth Shs90m, it has never been collected.
Also, Gaetano Bitalimwanya a sugarcane out grower from Balyeijukira village says that his sugarcane has so far spent a month without being collected despite being cut and bundled in the garden by Kinyara Sugar Works.
The sugarcane out growers’ Chairperson Eastern Zone, Mary Mujumura, calls upon the government to come to the farmers’ rescue saying many are stuck with their sugarcane for two months now.
When contacted, Richard Wanok, the Kinyara Sugar Works Public Relations Officer, said the company’s plan is to collect the sugarcane but they are being disrupted by the heavy rain being experienced in the district.
