Onek wants more sugar producers
Nov 02, 2008
AGRICULTURE minister Hilary Onek has called for more sugar manufacturing companies to join the industry as a measure of eliminating monopoly. The minister said the monopoly had resulted into unfair competition.
AGRICULTURE minister Hilary Onek has called for more sugar manufacturing companies to join the industry as a measure of eliminating monopoly. The minister said the monopoly had resulted into unfair competition, reports Samuel Balagadde.
He said the few sugar manufacturing companies had exploited out-growers by offering lower prices.
Onek was on Friday presiding over the second national sugarcane growers conference at Ridar Hotel in Sseta, near Kampala.
He disclosed that the sugar firms had forced out-growers into unfair long-term agreements.
“From today, I have shifted sugarcane out-growers from the trade ministry to the agriculture ministry where they can get direct support to enhance their activities,†said Onek.
Onek advised farmers to make work plans for their future activities so that the ministry can bring them aboard in the national budget.
The minister argued that this would assist the sector to lobby for the proposed sugarcane policy.
He connected the out-growers to the National Agriculture Advisory Services (NAADs) for better farm inputs and the National Agriculture Research Organisation (NARO) for research and better farming practices. Onek said this would result into better yields.
Wilberforce Kiwagama, the chairman of the Uganda National Sugarcane Growers Association, asked the agriculture ministery for support in the establishment of the sugarcane policy.
He argued that the policy would regulate and facilitate a smooth understanding and conduct of business for stakeholders.
“We are calling upon the Government to give the sugarcane sector a belonging and department to handle issues of sugarcane at the ministry level. We have for so long not been knowing the ministry we belong,†said Kiwagama.
He said the few sugar manufacturing companies had exploited out-growers by offering lower prices.
Onek was on Friday presiding over the second national sugarcane growers conference at Ridar Hotel in Sseta, near Kampala.
He disclosed that the sugar firms had forced out-growers into unfair long-term agreements.
“From today, I have shifted sugarcane out-growers from the trade ministry to the agriculture ministry where they can get direct support to enhance their activities,†said Onek.
Onek advised farmers to make work plans for their future activities so that the ministry can bring them aboard in the national budget.
The minister argued that this would assist the sector to lobby for the proposed sugarcane policy.
He connected the out-growers to the National Agriculture Advisory Services (NAADs) for better farm inputs and the National Agriculture Research Organisation (NARO) for research and better farming practices. Onek said this would result into better yields.
Wilberforce Kiwagama, the chairman of the Uganda National Sugarcane Growers Association, asked the agriculture ministery for support in the establishment of the sugarcane policy.
He argued that the policy would regulate and facilitate a smooth understanding and conduct of business for stakeholders.
“We are calling upon the Government to give the sugarcane sector a belonging and department to handle issues of sugarcane at the ministry level. We have for so long not been knowing the ministry we belong,†said Kiwagama.