By Joseph Omagor
After a two-year break Atiak sugar factory is in preparations to resume production by the end of 2024.
The factory that was launched by President Yoweri Museveni in 2020 in the northern district of Amuru had stopped production after a combination of wildfires and the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic had brought it to its knees.
The photos in this article show an array of heavy duty machines on display at the factory headquarters in Atiak sub county, Amuru. The machines include a modern boom sprayer, the green harvester which are both connected to a satellite, several 600 horse power tractors which have been acquired to help the factory to speed up operations as management looks into resuming production by the end of 2024.
According to the factory director of communications Benson Ongom, “It takes about eleven to thirteen months for us to be able to producer sugar”.
The factory which was launched by President Yoweri Museveni in 2020 in the Northern district of Amuru had stopped production after a combination of wildfires and the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic had brought it to its knees.
But with the equipment provided by the Uganda Development Bank, the Atiak sugar factory is expected to become 75 percent mechanized, “We are recruiting drivers and operators that will come in handy, those machines will be working in shifts and when production resumes we shall have around 700 workers” Ongom added.
The factory looks forward to recruiting majority of the workers from the local communities in the Acholi sub region.
And this has raised hope across Northern Uganda, Adoch Jennifer is a resident and local leader in Lamogi sub county, “We have seen its really good and it will benefit our community a lot” she says, while her counterpart Akello Monica from Guruguru sub county believes that lower local leaders should be involved in order to avert any challenges that involves local communities “because they are the ones who live within the local communities”.
Furthermore, an advanced Irrigation scheme covering 4000 square acres of sugarcane plantation with 62 automated irrigation command centers will be installed in order to increase harvest. Bunty Seeruttun the Director of agriculture at the Atiak Sugar factory, “We have varieties that can produce more sugar and yet have less yield so this is our aim” he foresees.
To achieve the irrigation target, the construction of 4 dams has commenced.
The local leaders are also optimistic that a fully operational Atiak sugar factory will improve the image of the region. According to the Member of Parliament representing the people of Bardege-Layibi division Ojara Martin Mapenduzi,“having this factory here in northern Uganda means a lot, because we also need to industrialize this region”.
However, while touring the factory, some leaders called for cooperation between the Atiak sugar factory and the local communities. The Amuru district LC5 chairperson commended the factory for taking up mechanization but also emphasized on the need for harmonious living with the surrounding communities. Anthony Akol is the area Member of Parliament for Kilak North, “we have seen the equipment, seen that the building of the irrigation dam has started and this is very exciting”.
The factory is expected to produce around 90 tons of sugar per acre.
Atiak sugar factory which is under Horyal investments Holding Company covers 17,000 hectares in the Northern districts of Amuru and Lamwo.
The author of this article is the Next Media Group bureau chief for Northern Uganda, he can be contacted on [email protected] or follow him on X (former Twitter) @OmagorJoseph