Farmers issue 7-day ultimatum for disbandment of Sony Sugar board

Migori County sugarcane farmers have issued a seven-day ultimatum to president Uhuru Kenyatta to disband the Sony Sugar Company board of management failure to which they would stop supplying sugarcane to the company.

Led by the Federation of Sugarcane Farmers Chairman, Sony Branch, Mr John Omollo Odondi, the farmers demanded that the board be disbanded immediately saying it was not sensitive to their issues.

Mr Omollo claimed that the board only served its own interests since it was instituted, adding that their issues have been ignored.
The chairman further claimed that senior employees of the company had resigned citing unfavourable working conditions and frustration by the board.
Speaking to Citizen Digital, the federation’s secretary, Mr Argwenge Odongo, accused the board of collecting Sh107,000 per sitting each, adding that the board sits three times a week.
On her part, Sony Sugar Company Cooperate Manager Ruth Opolle denied claims that some employees had resigned saying those who left were moving on to other opportunities and that it was beyond the company’s control.
She also rebutted claims that every board member earns Sh107,000 per sitting but declined to give the exact amount.

The renewed calls for the board’s exit come barely three weeks after the farmers appealed to President Kenyatta to disband the board of managers over what they termed as mismanagement of the company’s funds.
The farmers had expressed concern that the misappropriation of company funds would run the company into the ground, adding that the board did not care about their welfare.
Story sourced from Citizen Digital
By George Juma

Farmers reject OWC pineapple suckers

Farmers in Itojo Sub-county, Ntungamo District in Uganda have rejected pineapple suckers supplied to them under the Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) programme after finding

Wednesday October 19 2016

The farmers claim the suckers supplied under Operation Wealth Creation Programme are infected with the same pests they have been battling. 

In Summary

• Challenge. The farmers claim the suckers supplied under Operation Wealth Creation Programme are infected with the same pests they have been battling.

Ntungamo.
Farmers in Itojo Sub-county, Ntungamo District, have rejected pineapple suckers supplied to them under the Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) programme after finding out that they were infected with pests.
The pests eat the stems and dry up the pineapple. Mr Edson Bamwesigye, the farmers’ chairperson, on Monday said they have been battling the same pests in their gardens.
“We have a challenge of pests that cause the suckers to rot and eat up the fruit, we asked for suckers from Operation Wealth Creation, but when they were brought, 90 per cent had the same pest and some were rotten,” said Mr Bamwesigye.
The district agriculture officer, Ms Esther Atwine, advised the farmers to use common pesticides to fight the pests.
Col Fred Tumwebaze, the district OWC coordinator acknowledged receiving the farmers’ complaint, adding that his office would investigate the matter and if possible, supply new suckers.
The wealth creation officials paid Shs70-80 for each of the 14,000 suckers delivered last weekend.
Mr Mryes Tashobya, the Buhanama parish councillor, said OWC officials got suckers from Luweero, Masaka and Kayunga districts.
The numbers
2,000
The number of farmers engaged in pineapple commercial production in Itojo. The area is the leading pineapple producer in the district.

Story By Perez Rumanzi