By Our Reporter
Kikuube: Residents of Kizirafumbi Sub County in Kikuube district have petitioned the district authorities over the increased uptake of sugarcane growing, which is becoming a threat to food security among residents.
The residents, through the Butimba Sustainability Conservation Association (BUSUCA), a community-based organization working in the district on environmental conservation, improvement of food security, and protecting human rights, raised the alarm that the residents with small pieces of land have resorted to sugarcane growing, ignoring the need to grow food crops.
Rev. Fred Musimenta, the BUSUCA Chairperson, says due to the existence of Hoima Sugar Company in the district, the local people in the sugarcane catchment area have resorted to leasing out land to investors and growers for sugarcane production, leaving them with no land for food production.
“Sugarcane business is mainly dominated by men, and this has affected women’s access to land for food production, leading to food insecurity. Men, who are mainly the landowners, have resorted to leasing out land, leaving their families in jeopardy over what to eat. Women are mainly affected due to their traditional role of providing food for their families. Their livelihoods also largely depend on farming, yet land ownership is limited. We have registered many cases of gender-based violence resulting from food insecurity and poverty among couples due to sugarcane growing,” the petition reads.
According to the petition, they have been supported by the National Association of Professional Environmentalists (NAPE) to improve food security and income at the household level, but their efforts are being frustrated by some landowners who use their small pieces of land to grow sugarcane and leave their wives and children to suffer from food insecurity.
In a petition dated October 23 and addressed to the district leadership, the residents want Kikuube District Council to pass an ordinance to regulate the growing of sugarcane in order to protect residents from food security. They also call upon the leaders to prohibit farmers with small pieces of land from growing sugarcane in favor of food crop production.
Vincent Opio Alpha, the Kikuube district vice chairperson, acknowledges that sugarcane growing is becoming a threat to the district. He said the sugarcane grown by Hoima Sugar Limited has not only affected food security but has also destroyed the roads, causing accidents while being transported to the factory.
He said they plan to pass an ordinance to limit sugarcane growing to farmers who have 5 acres or more since it is not economically viable either.
“We are aware that sugarcane growing is becoming a problem. We already have a bill on paper, and soon it will be tabled before the council. We want to ensure that farmers who are growing sugarcane have 5 acres and above,” said Mr. Opio.
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