Uganda, March 14 -- Sugarcane farmers have opposed the proposal by the Uganda Sugar Manufacturers' Association (USMA) to ban field weighbridges, saying they are "very beneficial" to them.

The farmers' concerns are in relation to a letter dated August 24, 2023, addressed to the chairperson of parliamentary committee on tourism, trade and industry, Mr Mwine Mpaka, signed by USMA chairperson, Mr Jim Kabeho.

Mr Kabeho's letter reads in part: ". . . Competition for sugarcane in the region has led to a new phenomenon of establishment of field weighbridges, which has exacerbated the sugarcane poaching challenges."

The petition summarily urges the government to ensure that the operation and establishment of field weighbridges is "totally done ...