By Admin
Framers in Teso region have abandoned fruit growing and resorted to growing sorghum, maize, sim sim among other serials that will generate incomes and serve as food.
According to
Aruzu Julius from the public affairs
center of Uganda a local NGO based in Soroti who doubles as a farmer says, they
were made to grow fruits to supply the juice factory that was recently
commissioned in Teso but things have turned round with the now the factory
owners rejecting the oranges grown in the area on grounds that its not suitable
for the juice that they are making.
This has
left very many farmers in the area wondering of what they are going to do next
after spending huge sums of money, time and energy growing hundreds of acres of
fruits.
Azuru adds that, farmers have now resorted
to cutting down fruit trees in exchange with the growing of sorghum, sim sim
and maize among other produce that will earn them money and serve as food.
However, Ngora county Member of Parliament in Ngora district, Hon. David Abala castigates the acts exhibited by the investor which he has referred to as in human.
Abala further reveals that the factory is importing oranges from Tanzania at a cost of UGX.1200 each compared to those grown in the area which cost UGX.600 each.
The area MP
now bushes govt for not preparing local farmers as they were planning to start
up the juice factory in the area.
Communities in
the area thought that the coming of the factory was a solution to the poverty
burden in the area but to their surprise, it likely to escalate poverty in the
area.
President
Museveni commissioned the USD.13.4 million Soroti fruit factory early this year
in April where he emphasized the need for Uganda to industrialize as a path to
faster economic and social growth for this country.
END