MP for Fort portal Municipality, Alex Ruhunda

The parliamentary committee on trade and tourism has urged the government to put in place a sugar cane research Institute to address sugar scarcity.

This was after the committee met the smallest players in the sugar industry like Ssezibwa sugar and seven star sugar limited to give them their views on the sugar bill 2016.

The small players say it is ironic that there is a sugar scarcity in the country and yet canes grow and mature in about two years.

The chair of the committee Alex Ruhunda  ruled on the above matter by saying that they are going to include the section of putting a sugar cane research Institute in place so that the institution can be able to make research and get the sugar cane yields which can grow in only eight months.

The general Manager ssezibwa sugar James Kisambira who presented on behalf of all smallest players in the industry said that even the long droughts also contribute to the supply shortages.

Kisambira also says the sugar factories disagree with the proposal of zoning because farmers will be denied good prices for their sugar cane.

He has also told the committee that the smallest players in the sugar industry do not have issues competing with the bigger players because it can improve the industry.