BATU sets ‘tough’ rules for tobacco farmers

Feb 17, 2005

British American Tobacco (BATU) has set stringent rules for tobacco farmers following a petition by Bunyoro Tobacco Farmers Association to Parliament.

By Mary Karugaba
British American Tobacco (BATU) has set stringent rules for tobacco farmers following a petition by Bunyoro Tobacco Farmers Association to Parliament.
The farmers complained about BATU’s refusal to buy their tobacco, which is piling up in stores.
After four hours of a heated debate between BATU’s top officials and the farmers’ association, the cigarette-making firm came up with the rules.
Appearing before the agriculture committee chaired by John Odit (Erute North) on Tuesday, BATU’s manager for eastern Africa, Glenn Stocks, said 2004 was a horrible year for Uganda’s leaf export because the quality failed to meet customers’ expectations.
Stocks said due to the customers’ rejection, the company lost $5m (sh8.5b) last year.
He said BATU would enforce quality by ignoring tobacco with foreign materials to avoid making losses again.
“If the quality of Ugandan tobacco is not improved and foreign matter eliminated, the future of tobacco is at stake. We are not going to compromise with the farmers. We have to compete on the world market,” Stocks said.
He said they would register only the best farmers, who produce the set quotas.
Stocks said they would not buy from loan defaulters and would periodically review the demand.
However, the farmers led by the area MP, Beatrice Byenkya, said BATU set the stringent rules without consulting them.
They accused BATU’s leaf technical team of corruption and compromise.
Odit said the farmers and BATU officials should find solutions to their problems. He said Parliament would come up with recommendations to the matter.
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