Trade, Industry and Cooperatives Minister, Amelia Kyambadde has said Government is opposed to the proposal to export unprocessed raw materials like sugarcane, amidst excess sugarcane production woes.
The Minister who was presenting a statement on excess sugarcane woes in Busoga Sub-region told Parliament on Thursday that exporting unprocessed sugarcane would be controversial to Uganda’s policy which encourages value addition to products produced locally hence impeding industrial growth.
She said Busoga Sub region has recorded 500,000 tons of excess sugarcane in the last two months caused by the suspension of processing factories, Sugar Corporation of Uganda Limited (SCOUL) and Kakira Sugar Works who are carrying out annual routine maintenance of their machinery.
Kyambadde said the breakdown of machines of Mayuge Sugar, Kamuli Sugar and G.M Sugar Ltd factories has also worsened the situation which could force the farmers to export their sugarcane to Kenya.