Maracha tobacco farmers to sue firm
Jul 28, 2010
TOBACCO farmers in Maracha district are planning to sue Continental Tobacco Uganda.
By Dradenya Amazia
TOBACCO farmers in Maracha district are planning to sue Continental Tobacco Uganda.
The farmers, through their lawyer, Alaka &Co Advocates, accused the company of degrading their products after purchase.
“The farmers of Maracha gave us instruction to seek legal redress against Continental Tobacco Uganda that they have been exploited by the company.
“They have complained that after purchase and grading their tobacco, the company, without their knowledge and consent, degrades their products and dictates on the amount to be paid,†said Samuel Ondoma from Alaka and Company Advocates.
He also said the farmers’ tobacco was taken without payments and some have not been issued pay slips.
“The company fixes the price of tobacco after sales, which is not acceptable and they want it to be addressed. “If we can handle it here without going to the court, the better,†he said.
The Continental Tobacco area manager, Francis Karinki, confirmed the re-grading saying:
“I agree that we do re-grade because we realised that some farmer collude with buyers to mix the grades to fetch more money and then we fix the prices according to our verified grading.
If the farmers are not accepting the way we are handling them, they will be the ones to lose. They should stop pushing us into corner because we are treating them very well,†he said.
Cyprian Ogwang, the area tobacco inspector said before the purchase farmers would have agreed with the companies before their goods were taken.
TOBACCO farmers in Maracha district are planning to sue Continental Tobacco Uganda.
The farmers, through their lawyer, Alaka &Co Advocates, accused the company of degrading their products after purchase.
“The farmers of Maracha gave us instruction to seek legal redress against Continental Tobacco Uganda that they have been exploited by the company.
“They have complained that after purchase and grading their tobacco, the company, without their knowledge and consent, degrades their products and dictates on the amount to be paid,†said Samuel Ondoma from Alaka and Company Advocates.
He also said the farmers’ tobacco was taken without payments and some have not been issued pay slips.
“The company fixes the price of tobacco after sales, which is not acceptable and they want it to be addressed. “If we can handle it here without going to the court, the better,†he said.
The Continental Tobacco area manager, Francis Karinki, confirmed the re-grading saying:
“I agree that we do re-grade because we realised that some farmer collude with buyers to mix the grades to fetch more money and then we fix the prices according to our verified grading.
If the farmers are not accepting the way we are handling them, they will be the ones to lose. They should stop pushing us into corner because we are treating them very well,†he said.
Cyprian Ogwang, the area tobacco inspector said before the purchase farmers would have agreed with the companies before their goods were taken.