Kenya National Federation of Sugarcane farmers wants President William Ruto to prioritise paying the debt owed by sugar out-grower companies as a first step in reviving the sector.
Kenya's sugar sector has 12 out-grower companies, reportedly struggling with Ksh2.4 billion debt.
The farmers stated that the government focused on re-structuring the leadership of the sugar companies and privatising them, but did not put any measures in place to take care of the sugarcane farmers, who play critical roles.
“We have not heard our leaders speak for the farmers who grow the sugarcane, yet no sugarcane company will operate successfully without the sugarcane farmers,” one of the farmers lamented.
The sugarcane farmers appealed to President William Ruto to ensure that the debts owed to sugarcane farmers were paid to revive the sector.
They stated that the government could only reach the farmers through the out-grower institutions as they directly handled farmer operations.
“If the government does not reach out to the out-grower companies, then it will not be able to revive the sugar sector in this country because the people who lead those companies will squander the money and leave the sector at the same position,” a farmer lamented.
The farmers also asked the President to diversify the sugarcane miller revival to all areas where the crop is grown to enable the farmers to get value for their work.
“If President William Ruto wants to help us revive the sugar sector to help sugarcane farmers, he should think about the farmers in other regions too not just Mumias Sugar Company,” one of the farmers stated.
According to the farmers, the sugar industry's major problem was inadequate raw materials, which they stated could easily be solved through the revival of the out-grower companies.
“Back then we had out grower companies that ensured that sugarcane was available to millers when needed and that farmers were well taken care of.
“The out growers ensured that the selected sugarcane was mature enough. They also organised for transportation of the sugarcane to the millers,” a farmer explained.
On Friday, December 9, President William Ruto unveiled five multi-billion projects in Western Kenya, pledging to fulfill his pre-election promises of reviving the sugar sector.
“I still stand by my word. I will soon call the leaders from the Western Kenya region once I finalize the road map for the revival of Mumias Sugar Company so that we chart a way forward together," Ruto declared.
