By Our Staff Reporter
Masindi — Sugarcane farmers across Bunyoro and Tooro regions have welcomed President Yoweri Museveni’s recent directive halting the controversial practice of deducting trash levies from farmers’ sugarcane deliveries.
The announcement was made during a meeting with sugarcane farmers and millers at Kityerera State Lodge in Mayuge District on August 6, 2025. President Museveni ordered all sugar millers and weighbridge operators to cease deducting a 5% levy from farmers under the guise of managing sugarcane trash — a charge that farmers argue has long eaten into their profits.
“Trash deductions have caused persistent grumbling among farmers,” said Robert Atugonza, Chairman of the Masindi Sugarcane Growers Association Ltd. “It’s unjust because the very trash deducted from our produce is later used by factories to manufacture bagasse, generate electricity, and produce fertilizer.”
The directive aligns with the recently amended Sugar Act, which was signed into law by the President in May. Under the Act, the so-called trash levy was to be eliminated. However, some millers and weigh stations — particularly in Masindi and other regions — reportedly continued the deductions.
President Museveni emphasized that sugar manufacturers should reject cane deliveries that include husks and tops rather than penalize farmers through deductions. He further instructed the Ministry of Trade to expedite the formation of the Sugar Industry Stakeholders Council, as established by the amendment to the Sugar Act.
The council, once operational, will comprise:
- 4 representatives of sugarcane farmers,
- 3 representatives of sugar millers,
- Permanent secretaries from the Ministries of Trade, Agriculture, and Finance.
Patrick Byamukama, Chairman of the Bunyoro-Tooro Sugarcane Farmers Association, praised the President’s intervention.
“Farmers in our regions are pleased,” Byamukama said. “We encourage other sugar companies to emulate Kinyara Sugar Ltd, which has consistently shown best practices by avoiding unnecessary deductions.”
Atugonza echoed similar sentiments, noting that while many farmers suffer under unjust trash deductions, Kinyara Sugar Ltd continues to treat its suppliers fairly.
The President’s directives are expected to offer financial relief to thousands of smallholder sugarcane farmers and restore trust in the country’s sugar sector.
The News Editor ,Reporter at Kagadi Kibaale community Radio
