Sugarcane growing threat to environment - Experts

Experts have warned that sugarcane growing in Busoga Sub-region could become an environmental threat due to the massive deforestation.

Records from Busoga Sugarcane Out growers Association (BSGA) indicate that the sub-region has 30,000 largescale farmers supplying five factories.

Mr Moses Maganda, the Jinja District environment officer, Wednesday said the area is one of the regions with the highest deforestation activities due to sugarcane growing.

“Busoga is the only sub-region that has many factories that process sugar, and this has created a high demand for sugarcane forcing farmers to clear trees hence degrading the environment," he said.

Mr Maganda said the rate at which the farmers cut trees is higher than the rate at which they plant them, calling for a review to avoid the occurrence of disasters.

In April 2019, 15 people died in floods in Buyende and Kamuli districts following heavy rain. Environmentalists attributed the tragedy to degradation.

Dr Daniel Babikwa, the director district support coordination and public education at the National Environment Management Authority (Nema), advised farmers to have an environmental social and impact assessment report before clearing land.

“If they want to grow cane, they need to have an environmental social and impact assessment because that is the basis on which we can base our future monitoring and guidance; without that report and approval, it becomes difficult for Nema to do anything beyond that," he said.

Mr Godfrey Biriwali, the chairperson of Greater Busoga Sugarcane Farmers’ Union (GBSGU), wondered how sugarcane can degrade the environment.

“Sugarcane emits more carbon dioxide than ordinary grassland cover. I don’t know what exactly they need from forest cover. I believe carbon dioxide is one of the most important things on earth," he said.

Mr Isa Budugho, the chairperson of GBSGA, said they will start growing trees on the boundaries of the sugarcane plantations.

“The exercise will kick off in April with supplying seedlings to farmers so that they can grow them on the boundaries of sugarcane plantations," he said.

The National Forestry and Tree Planting Act (2003) provides for the conservation, sustainability management and development of forests.

Deforestation

In 2009, Nema stated that Uganda loses about 6,000 hectares of forests every 30 days, and if no action is taken by 2050, the country’s per capita forest cover will be zero.

The environment body also said 28 districts have lost their entire forest ecosystem while another 19 districts have forest cover lower than one per cent some of which are in Busoga.