Sugarcane growers across the Busoga sub-region are reeling from shock and anger after leading sugar processors abruptly slashed cane prices, a move that has ignited fierce debate and suspicion as Uganda edges closer to a national election. For farmers already grappling with drought and rising production costs, the decision has landed like a final blow.
The storm was triggered when Kamuli Sugar Limited issued a notice dated December 11, 2025, announcing a sharp revision in cane prices, altering long-standing payment expectations for growers. Within hours, Mayuge Sugar Industries echoed the move, confirming that its own reduced rates would take effect by December 12, leaving farmers with little time to adjust or respond.
What has unsettled the farming community most is not only the scale of the reduction, but the timing. Coming barely a month before voters head to the polls, the decision has fueled speculation that the price cuts may be driven by motives far beyond market forces, especially in a region where sugarcane is the backbone of household incomes.
The outrage has spilled into the political arena, drawing in State Minister for Youths, Dr. Balaam Barugahara Ateenyi. In a strongly worded reaction shared on his official social media platforms, the minister openly questioned why such a drastic decision would be taken at such a sensitive political moment, describing the timing as deeply questionable.
Ateenyi warned that farmers were already under immense pressure from prolonged dry spells and escalating input costs, and that lowering cane prices now risked pushing many into desperation. He suggested that if the move was intended to influence voter behavior, it could easily backfire and alienate the very communities that political actors depend on.
Within Busoga, the mood among farmers is one of betrayal and confusion. Many are asking whether the reduced cane prices will translate into cheaper sugar for consumers, or whether the losses will be absorbed entirely by growers while millers protect their margins behind closed doors.
The uncertainty has sent shockwaves through trading centers and villages where sugarcane farming supports transporters, casual laborers, and small businesses. For a region long defined by its green fields and factory chimneys, the sudden shift has raised fears of economic instability at a time when livelihoods should be protected.
As election campaigns intensify, the actions of sugar companies are now under intense public scrutiny. Whether the price cuts are rooted in genuine economic challenges or calculated strategy, one thing is clear: Busoga’s farmers feel cornered, and their anger may yet echo loudly when they finally step into the voting booth.
