Ugandan Traditional Drink Tonto Faces Threat from New Regulations

A proposed bill seeks to criminalize home brewing activities, while farmers struggle with the lack of banana cultivars for the brew.

Tonto, a traditional Ugandan drink made from fermented banana juice, is under threat due to new regulations.
Authorities are moving to restrict the production of home brews, which are considered illicit and sometimes carry the risk of deadly contamination.
A bill in the national assembly seeks to criminalize the activities of home brewers of tonto and other traditional brews.
Farmers are concerned about the lack of new banana juice cultivars being planted for the brew, as communities prioritize more commercially viable varieties.
The production of tonto is becoming more cumbersome and less profitable, with the distances traveled in search of bananas growing and the price of sorghum rising.