By Derrick Omoding.
The Citrus farmers in Teso Sub – region have opposed the government’s decision to privatize the Fruit Processing Factory.
A section of farmers under their umbrella of Teso Tropical Fruit Growers Cooperative (TEFGCO), have expressed disappointment to their legislators of Teso Parliamentary group (TPG), for ignoring the Fruit Factory meant to benefit their own communities.
The outcry comes barely a month after government’s pronouncement to hand the factory into private hands after it failed to independently take off and consuming all the fruits produced by farmers.
Speaking on Thursday during the Value addition training conducted by Opul Skilling Foundation and Soroti Catholic Diocese Integrated Development Organization (SOCADIDO) at Eneku Village Soroti, farmers say that the Teso members of parliament should be held responsible having totally failed to conduct consultations extensively with them over the Juice factory to absorb sufficient information that could guide parliament on what to be done.
Government through Uganda Investment Authority, injected Billions of Shillings to establish the fruit processing plant in Soroti, a loan from the Japanese government, with an intention of ensuring Value addition to the Citrus fruits grown in the region.
Mr. Jorem Opian Obicho the Chairman of the Cooperative has expressed distress on the leaders who have paid attention to conflicts amongst themselves, which he says has never given them an opportunity to think towards the common direction in favor of their electorates who are grappling with poverty conditions.
Obicho has totally fallen apart with government’s decision to privatize the factory with a reason that it will not offer the best solution to resolve the current crisis faced by the Juice processing plant.
He revealed that a silent petition has already been signed by the farmers in the region and submitted to the prime minister’s office to object the decision of privatizing the factory and have their views considered as the key beneficiaries of the factory.
“In the petition, we have given government two conditions; number one is to increase on the capacity of the factory to absorb the fruits, secondly to enable the factory management to sell the Juice made to the local market and externally.” he said.
Adding, “We also want the government to be the first marketer of the Factory’s products and ensure that the factory sells fresh fruits to the external market as well.”
Joseph Asutai, the Chief Executive Officer of Awoja River site project said that leaders of Teso are not mindful of development amongst their own people.
“We are also much aware that some of our own leaders have drugged down President Museveni’s efforts of elevating communities out of poverty this they do by causing a lot of confusion amongst the leaders.” he said.
Meanwhile Dr. Joseph Opul, the Chief Executive Officer Opul Skilling Foundation Africa has called on all the leaders of Teso to put aside their personal differences and focus on serving their humble communities.