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How could the Prime Minister and the Minister of Agriculture allow sugar companies to issue submission contracts with the farmers, without any obligations or commitments on these companies?

Armant Sugar Company – Qena governorate, which is subordinate to the Ministry of Agriculture, has refused to compensate the sugarcane farmers for their losses when their crops were burnt as a result of an electric spark from the electric cables passing through their fields.
The LCHR has send the complaints of these farmers to the sugar company and the Minister of Agriculture demanding the company to receive the rest of the sugarcane and compensate the farmers for their losses. The sugar company has sent a copy of its contract with the farmers stating that the farmers have no right to demand it for compensation.
Unfortunately, the contract articles are only for the favor of the sugar company. For example, the sugar company has the right to specify the dates for receiving the sugarcane, the type of sugarcane to be planted and the time of observation. It is also not responsible for any delivery delay. It has the right to refuse to receive any sugarcane cargo if it was mixed with other types of sugarcane, even if these types were acknowledged by the Ministry of Agriculture, and it has the right to reduce the price incase it has accepted to take this mixed cargo. It has the right to weigh the cargo without the presence of the farmers. It has the right to refuse receiving any sugarcane cargo that has some unripe crops. It has the right not to refuse receiving any damaged crops (burnt or drowned) without paying any compensation to the farmers. The contract states that all farmers know the routs of its rail tracks and that farmers do not have the right to ask the company to extend or modify these tracks, it also states that every farmer is responsible of his cargo transported on these tracks and that he must fix the cars carrying his cargo or compensate the company in case these cars fell off the tracks or got broken. The contract also states that farmers should bear the transportation expenses if they chose to use the governmental railway to transport their cargos. The sugar company has the right not to pay the farmers for their crops till the end of the process of selling the sugarcane or till the end of the season. In addition to many more oppressive and unfair stipulations.
LCHR sees that this contract only mentions rights to the Sugar Company and obligations against the farmers. LCHR asserts that this contract violates the civil, trade and agricultural laws, the constitution and international agreements.
LCHR demands the Prime Minister and the Minister of Agriculture to change the articles of this contract to guarantee the farmers some rights. Sugarcane farmers are forced to sign such contracts or their crops will remain in their fields with no one to buy them. The LCHR calls all CSOs to unite in solidarity with these farmers to guarantee their rights to justice, equality and decent living.
For more information, please contact the Center.

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