Budongo forest goes off to private investors to grow sugarcane

The year 2020 saw the destruction of Bugoma forest after a disappointing court decision that allowed Hoima sugar factory to undertake large scale sugar cane growing on part of the forest.

3 Years later Budongo forest is also under attack by private sugar cane growers, these have negotiated a deal to have part of the forest allocated to sugar cane growing. It is a big shame that Uganda is set to lose all its natural forests in western Uganda due to the uncontrolled deforestation activities that have been fuelled by the sprouting sugar growing companies in the region.

Ecologically, Bundogo forest is a natural habitant that offers a buffer corridor zone to some primates, birds, butterflies, chimpanzees among others, it is also a source of livelihood to communities in the surrounding areas as many locals depend on this forest for fuel wood, forest food and herbal medicine.

 The tree cover shows a mahogany wood domination. The presence of huge mahogany trees that are a great tourist attraction in the area that has provided local employment to residents surrounding the forest.

The forest is threatened by the mushrooming sugar cane growing business and it is feared that it is succumbing to private sugar cane growing companies like Kinyara sugar works and other large scale sugar cane at growers that are scrambling for forest land.

Forest land invaders must be evicted and stopped immediately to protect the tropical rain forest the home of chimpanzees in western Uganda. Uganda has huge chucks of agriculture free land that can be utilized for sugar cane growing other than encroaching on forests.