Uganda: Cassava farmers in Teso cry for BUBU after factory shuts down

Cassava farmers in the subregion are stuck with hectares of cassava in gardens as their potential buyer, Lukonge Cassava Starch Factory, shut down operations Cassava farmers in Teso subregion have appealed to the government to put more effort in protecting local investors through the 'Buy Uganda Build Uganda' policy, popularly known by its acronym BUBU. This as cassava farmers in the subregion are stuck with hectares of cassava in gardens as their potential buyer, Lukonge Cassava Starch Factory, shut down operations due to a fall in starch demand on the market. The factory is currently stuck with over 300 tonnes of starch in stock with the proprietors decrying an increase in imported starch. After the collapse of cotton growing in Teso subregion in the early 2000, Lukonge Cotton Ginnery shut down. But since 99 percent of the population in Teso grow cassava, the factory proprietors resorted to investing in starch production in 2021, committing over $2.5 billion to tap into the ...