Uganda: Kikuube turns to sugarcane growing as the wait for oil continues

Last updated on September 11th, 2021 at 08:22 am

For so many years, locals in the Albertine place have patiently waited for industrial manufacturing of oil in vain.

However, as the projections suffer one shift after another, many farmers, in particular those in Kikuube District have grew to become their hope to Hoima Sugar Ltd, a cane processing factory operating in the location in view that 2011. 

For the final five years, locals have been imparting out grower offerings in order to earn regular income.

KnowAfrika has hooked up that the company adopted the out-grower scheme in 2015, and has now accelerated to reap from 8,000 hectares of out-growers alone, in addition to their nucleus of 3,800 hectares.

This implies that 65 per cent of the company’s cane is produced by means of out-growers.

The organisation has now not solely elevated its wings to cowl 163 villages in Kikuube and Hoima, however also come up with large opportunities such as employment and market for the locals. By the time of our visit final week, Hoima Sugar had a registered pool of 3,500 farmers as out-growers.

Mr Rajasekaran Ramados, an agro engineer at Hoima Sugar Ltd, advised this reporter that the employer employs 567 men and girls directly, and  another 800 human beings indirectly. “All our employees are from the neighborhood community,” Mr Ramados said.

The out-growers too, lengthen employment opportunities to other locals in the neighborhood and the chain continues.  To cement their relations, the factory provides capital input to farmers.  

The package deal consists of bush clearing, ploughing, weeding, as well as farrowing and harvesting.

The fee is, however, recovered at the end of the chain by means of deducting the amount injected from the farmer. Isn’t this disturbing? No, the farmers say.

Mr Patrick Kyaligonza, 43, a resident of Kiswaza Village, Munteme Sub-county, says: “I am blissful that I have received a tractor on loan, I now cultivate greater than eighty acres each and every year, up from only 15.” 

From his first harvest of 15 acres, Mr Kyaligonza  says he obtained Shs75m, paid part of the mortgage and retained Shs35m.  On the 2d harvest, he says he earned Shs100m after deductions, he walked domestic with Shs75m.

For Mr Justus Birungi, 56, a resident of Kuhenda, Kabwooya Sub-county in Kikuube, the business enterprise came as a blessing.

Mr Birungi is additionally the spokesperson of the out-growers association. “Since the institution of this factory, many humans have developed. Many of us had land except capital to invest on it. This organisation gave us capital .

They also give seed capital and when it’s harvesting season, they carry the labourers whom they pay,’ he reveals.  At first, Mr Birungi did not have money but he benefited from Shs50 million capital assist to domesticate his 36 acres of land.

(DailyMonitor)