More than 1,000 farmers in Uganda are left with at least 200 metric tons of tobacco worth UGX 1.4 billion (USD 378,000), The Independent reported.

The farmers from the Acholi sub region were contracted by Alliance One Tobacco (Uganda) Limited to grow the cash crop. According to the report, farmers say the company has gone silent. Several farmers said that in 2018, they entered an agreement with the company to grow tobacco. The company provided support to farmers in form of agricultural inputs like seeds and fertilizers, which it would recover after the sale of tobacco. The farmers now accuse Alliance One Tobacco of breaching the contractual obligation for the purchase of the tobacco, the report said.
Farmers in the affected districts have petitioned the respective District Commercial Officers; LC 5 Chairpersons and Resident District Commissioners for redress. In Masindi district, the company bowed to pressure from the district authorities and has started purchasing the excessive tobacco from the farmers, The Independent said.
Most farmers in Uganda who are involved in tobacco growing argue that it has helped them to improve their economic livelihood, pay school fees, build better houses and acquire essentials for their homesteads. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF), there were an estimated 75,000 farmers relying on the crop by 2014. It is estimated that Uganda produces up to 6.7 million tons annually.