Atiak Sugar factory creates 10,000 jobs

By David Muwanga

Atiak Sugar Factory Limited in Amuru district has created over 10,000 jobs through the establishment of out growers cooperative societies, company officials have said.

Amina Hersi, the Chief Executive Officer of the company said the project in Gem Village, Atiak Sub-County has the capacity to crush 1,650 tonnes of raw cane daily, producing 66 million kilogrammes of sugar annually.

“However although factory which was set up in 2016 is ready for production there have been delays of calibration by the International Organisation for Standardisation to ensure the quality, safety, and efficiency of products, services, and systems,” she said.

She made this revelation in a meeting held at the factory with the Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) acting director general Lawrence Byensi.

Byensi with a team from Investment Promotion and Aftercare Services were in Atiak to monitor the progress of the implementation of the sugar project.

Hersi told the delegation that already 3,000 acres of sugar cane belonging to Gem Pachilo and Atiak out growers cooperative societies is ready for supply.

“We have also established a co-generation of six megawatts of electricity off the national grid which is supplied through biogas generated from the bi-products of the cane,” she said.

Byensi hailed the project’s progress saying that apart from jobs, the region will not experience sugar shortage.

He said that government has developed policies that are needed to safeguard the interests of all stakeholders to ensure that the sugar industry in Uganda thrives and focuses on value addition.

“You are now creating jobs through direct employment of 1500 workers and indirect wealth creation through the farmers’ cooperative societies and other service providers,” he noted.