ENVIRONMENT NATURE CLIMATE CHANGE
The fight between sugarcane investors and conservationists over forests is not about to stop.
To the investors, forests have no encumbrances, such as settlement areas, which would necessitate relocation of settlers and compensation, making it a costly project. As a result, they find it cheaper to cut down trees and embark on money-minting projects, ignoring environmental concerns.
Soil fertility is another factor. With their fertile soils, once the forests are cut, investors will not need to use fertilisers for a long time. This is a big saving.
In a recent statement, Sheila Nduhukire, the communications and public relations officer of Hoima Sugar, described her company as an environmentally-friendly one.
“The 22 square miles (5,779 hectares) that we got from Bunyoro Kingdom is not on a forest. We are a green company and there is simply no way we would want to cut down a forest,” she said…read more…
