A group of farmers from the tobacco growing regions of Uganda have petitioned the Speaker of Uganda’s Parliament, Hon. Rebecca Kadaga, urging her to pass the Tobacco Control Bill 2014. The farmers, led by Mr. Sengoma John from Kanungu District noted that the Bill enable government to be in charge of the whole system of tobacco production right from the farm level to the marketing level so as protect both us the farmers and the other members of the public from the negative effects of tobacco. The farmers were represented by a team of nine from West Nile, Western Uganda and Bunyoro Regions.
The petition was handed over to Hon. David Bahati, who received it on behalf of the Speaker, at Parliament on Thursday July 17, 2014. Hon. Bahati assured the farmers that their concerns would be considered and that the Speaker will ensure that their ideas are incorporated in the report of the Parliamentary Health Committee, which is currently carrying out consultations on the TC Bill.
The farmers noted that having grown tobacco for a long time, they have come to realize that while tobacco growing cannot take them out of poverty, it also has so many related problems affecting their health, the environment, and causes food insecurity. They said this forced them to try out other alternative income generating options like growing of coffee, rice and maize, poultry keeping, cattle and goat rearing, activities which have changed their lives and household incomes tremendously.
In their recommendations, the farmers called for the repeal of the of the Tobacco (Control and Marketing Act) Cap 327 which gives powers of monopoly to the Tobacco Industry exposing them to high levels of exploitation.
The farmers also called on government to put in place a mechanism that will help them move from tobacco growing to other viable sources of income, adding that those that have been able to move on their own are a testimony. They however noted that a number of farmers are still growing tobacco not out of choice but because they are entangled in a debt trap with the tobacco companies. They therefore keep growing tobacco so as to try and pay off the loans, which unfortunately is not easy due to the high level of exploitation by the tobacco companies .
Accordingly, the farmers further called on government to put in place a mechanism to assist them pay off the loans owed to the tobacco companies so as to get them out of the debt trap, and enable them move to more viable alternatives.