Uganda, April 30 -- Sugarcane farmers from the Bunyoro and Tooro Sub-regions have rejected the newly passed tax on sugar, warning it will hurt their livelihoods and destabilise the industry.

The farmers, operating under the Bunyoro Tooro Sugarcane Farmers Association (BUTOS), say the increase in excise duty from Shs100 to Shs300 per kilogramme of sugar, approved under the Excise Duty (Amendment) Act, 2026 will have far-reaching consequences, especially for producers at the grassroots.

Between April 21 and 23, 2026, Parliament passed a series of tax amendment Bills for the 2026/27 financial year aimed at raising additional domestic revenue.

However, farmers argue that the sugar tax, like others introduced, will disproportionately burden...