Mayuge: Sugarcane growing splits families
Jaffar Muyinda
A section of families in Mayuge district have expressed regret for venturing into sugarcane growing which they say has resulted into food shortage.
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This is partly attributed to men who hire land to rich men for years without the consent of their wives and mothers to grow sugarcane at the expense of food crops.
Margret Mutonyi,74, said her husband hired out the family land and died without revealing the terms of the agreement to her.
Mutonyi said the situation has left them living on a small plot on which she cannot grow food to feed the eight grandchildren she takes care of.
Her grand daughter, who declined to reveal her name, told us that they live on a single meal a day.
Akim Tibita, a local leader, said that the land agreements are usually made but due changes in cane prices, tenants delay to harvest the cane hoping for better prices.
This upsets the entire arrangement.
George Wamudale the chairperson Luubu B village admitted that the behaviour of men has led to domestic violence in many homes.
An acre of land in Mayuge is hired for between Shs 700,000 and Shs 1 million for three seasons which normally span five years.
