The sugar factory in Northern Uganda has been built as an engine for development to support the livelihoods of vulnerable populations, particularly women.
Key activities between January and February 2024 have been; Clearing of cane fields, Installation of Irrigation facilities, Road Opening, Dam construction among others.
Planting of Sugar canes on the cleared fields has kicked off and a total of 4510 hectares of cane fields are expected to be cleared in the first phase of planting activities
Benson Ongom the Director Communication at Atiak Sugar Factory says the canes are expected to take between 10 to 13 months to mature and harvest will then precede to sugar production by mid 2025.
About the installation of irrigation facilities, 42 centre pivots have so far been installed within the cane fields.
According to him, 62 centre pivots in total, will be installed within the cane fields. ”These will be able to irrigate 4,150 hectares of cane fields. This is to, among other things, keep the cane fields as green as possible throughout the seasons and manage fire outbreaks that have greatly affected the progress of the project” he explained
‘’Laying of assembled underground network of pipes for the irrigation facilities is on course Once fully installed, the underground pipes will be able to maintain an organized water distribution system to these facilities’’ Benson further explained to this publication.
The opening of 6.2 kilo metre main road; Bibia Gate2, that connects the Sugar Factory to Gulu- South Sudan Highway is also complete.
The ongoing activities on this particular road include; road bed and sub grade levelling or compacting on selected sections of the road. Opening of the feeder access roads within the farm is also ongoing.
Works on the dam construction are also moving smoothly. The Dam is expected to hold about 600 million litres of water to facilitate the irrigation facilities that have been set up on the farm.
Benson explained that the project is blessed with significant physical features such as hills, swamps and a river and all these are expected to feed the dam with water, to be able top supply the centre pivots.
He noted that the water will be conveyed to the centre pivots by assembled underground pipes.
