Uganda sugarcane expansion leaves Busoga families hungry despite industry growth
Research in eastern Uganda's Busoga region shows that a surge in commercial sugarcane farming has coincided with widespread household hunger among local residents.
Commercial sector drives land use
The area planted with sugarcane tripled between 2000 and 2024 as seven mills operate in the region. New investors entered the market after the government stopped setting sugar prices in 1991. Most of the 4.3 million people in Busoga farm small, rain-fed plots on fertile land.
Outgrowers sell under contracts
Tens of thousands of families grow cane on their own land to sell under contracts with sugar mills. These outgrowers contribute to the industry while waiting for harvest payments. The 2024 census found that about a third of households reported going whole days without food.
Study examines local causes
A researcher interviewed 27 officials and farmer representatives across Jinja and Buyende districts to understand the situation. He asked four groups of farmers who decides how land is used and who receives the money. Decades of sugarcane growth have not reduced hunger in Busoga according to his findings.
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