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Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | President, Yoweri Museveni has ordered for the establishment of a service center to support sugarcane farmers in Masindi district.
This was contained in a message by Gen. Salim Saleh, the coordinator Operation Wealth Creation-OWC read for him by Major Gen. John Mateeka in a meeting with sugarcane farmers and Kinyara sugar works company officials at Kinyara on Monday.
According to Gen. Saleh, the service center that will be equipped with among other things 40 tractors, sugarcane harvesting machines, training facility for tractor operators, post-harvest handlers, fertilizers and ICT lab, will be established at Kihonda agricultural demonstration farm in Pakanyi sub county.
Cosmas Byaruhanga, the Chairperson Masindi Sugarcane Growers Association-MASGAL welcomed the move, saying it will reduce the challenges sugarcane farmers in Masindi face.
Byaruhanga called for cooperation between farmers, government and Kinyara Sugar to address the impasse between the farmers and Kinyara sugar works.
He asked security agencies in the district to stop what he called protecting the interests of Kinyara Sugar Management at the expense of the farmers.
Hajji Mohamed Kazimbiraine, a sugarcane farmer expressed pessimism about the establishment of the service center, saying government has made similar promises in the past in vain.
He demanded for the involvement of the Agriculture, Animal Industries and Fisheries Ministry to resolve the impasse between Masindi sugarcane farmers and Kinyara sugar works limited more especially on cane prices.
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