NAMAYINGO
Sugarcane farmers in Namayingo District have asked the government to resolve the prolonged licensing dispute surrounding CN Sugar Company, saying the stalled factory has left them struggling to find reliable markets for their cane.
The farmers raised their concerns during a meeting with Sugar Council officials at the company’s site in Kifuyo Village, Buyinja Sub-county, where they questioned why the factory had remained inactive for about three years.
They said they had invested in sugarcane farming expecting CN Sugar to become a major buyer in the area. However, the delay has forced them to rely on middlemen and factories outside the district.
According to the farmers, middlemen often offer low prices, while transporting cane to distant factories increases their costs, reducing their earnings and making sugarcane farming increasingly difficult.
The farmers also accused some Sugar Council members of allegedly soliciting money from CN Sugar investors during visits intended to resolve the licensing impasse. The allegations were raised during the meeting but were not independently verified.
They said they were increasingly frustrated because the licensing process was expected to have been expedited following a directive issued through Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja.
At the site, construction activity was largely at a standstill, with machinery lying idle and vegetation covering parts of the property.
The farmers said the delay had also deprived the district of anticipated employment opportunities and businesses that would have emerged around the investment.
The meeting followed a four-hour closed-door session involving Sugar Council officials and other stakeholders. Journalists were excluded from the session.
Representatives of CN Sugar, Bugiri Sugar and Kakira Sugar attended, alongside Namayingo District Police Commander, the Resident District Commissioner, the Officer in Charge of Police, District Chairperson Ronald Sanya and members of his council.
Kiiza David represented the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, while Robert Atugonza represented the chairperson of the Sugar Council and chaired the meeting.
During the subsequent engagement with farmers, Deo Disiko and Idah Kigada were among those who described the challenges facing growers.
They said the shortage of buyers had weakened farmers’ bargaining power, leaving many dependent on middlemen to sell their cane.
The chairperson of Sango A Village in Kifuyo Parish, Buyinja Sub-county, questioned the government’s commitment to improving household incomes.
Referring to the NRM’s “prosperity for all” message, he said residents could not achieve meaningful economic transformation while a major industrial project remained stalled.
He argued that an operational factory would create jobs, provide a local market for sugarcane and stimulate other businesses.
Mr Sanya said the district could consider discouraging residents from growing sugarcane if the licensing dispute remained unresolved.
He said leaders could not continue encouraging farmers to grow a crop without certainty about its market.
He also cautioned sugar mills currently buying cane from Namayingo against actions that could frustrate the establishment of CN Sugar.
Mr Atugonza said the Sugar Council’s visit was intended to establish what remained outstanding before the company could begin operations.
He said the council would prepare a report based on its findings and submit it in accordance with the law.
Mr Atugonza cited objections from other sugar companies, including concerns relating to land, among the issues contributing to the delay.
Despite the farmers’ concerns, he appealed to them to continue growing sugarcane.
CN Sugar has approximately 3,000 acres of land in Nawampogo Village, Bukabu Parish, Bukaboli Sub-county, in Mayuge District.
The farmers are now calling on the authorities to resolve the licensing dispute and clarify whether the stalled factory will eventually become operational.
