Mayuge district residents have accused Busoga Forest Company of blocking them from cultivating food crops in the forest reserve.
The forest company, a subsidiary company of Green Resources AS Norway, a plantation, carbon offset, forest products and renewable energy company that was established in 1996, is accused of blocking the residents of Nakalanga, Namugongo, Walumbe, Bukatuube, Bukaleeba, Imanyiro, Kasaali, Nkombe and Fidrot villages.
Robert Ouma, a resident of Walumbe village says locals are not allowed to grow crops under the Taungya system in areas that are grown with young trees in the villages located near the forest reserve. This affects food security in homes resulting into hunger.
Ouma says the system was applied until 2004, when the National Forestry Authority outlawed Taungya system, but it worked out, as residents grew enough food in the forest reserve.
Residents grew short term crops like maize, beans, cassava, potatoes and millet for food. Since the abolition of the Taungya system, resistance came up between the residents and the management of the forest company, which has resulted into burning of young trees in Busoga forest reserve.
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According to Nicholas Menzies, Taungya is a system of forest management where land is cleared and initially planted with food crops. Seedlings of different tree species are then planted on the same plot of land, for a period of 3- 4 years until the tree canopy closes rendering it to do crop farming. The land is then left until the timber is harvested and the cycle is repeated.
Godfrey Opio, a resident of Bukaleeba village says although the Forest Company employs over 5000 people from the villages and has left them with small plots of land, it is not enough to grow food to support their families throughout the year due to the high population growth within the forest reserve settlement areas.
He says people like him who have stayed in the forest reserve for more than 10 years, should be relocated after compensation.
Busoga forest reserve has close to 16,000 settlers living in 9 villages that are covered by the forest.
Isaac Kapalaga, Executive Director for Busoga Forest Company says Taungya system affects the growth of some tree species and poses a risk of forest fires by cultivators who light fires while in the garden.
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Kapalaga says today settlers in the forest reserve are only allowed to grow crops where trees are not planted but still most of the fires that burn trees are set up by the people growing crops.
But Jackson Andrua, National Forestry Authority Executive Director says Taungya system is no longer allowed in Uganda.
