Give solutions in sugar summit, cane farmers tell organisers

Sugarcane farmers want the organisers of the upcoming sugar conference to involve "real" stakeholders to achieve the desired outcomes in the revival of the ailing subsector.

The conference, the first-ever for the sub-sector’s history, will be held in Kakamega on September 8 under the auspices of the Lake Region Economic Bloc.

The National Federation of Sugarcane Farmers, the body that represents cane farmers across the board, yesterday voiced concerns about the planning.

Federation deputy secretary general Simon Wesechere said farmers have not been invited through their representative bodies to attend the conference. 

"The conference will not achieve the intended outcome if those mobilising for the forum will pick people from streets and their political cronies to attend the conference," he said.

Governor Fernandes Barasa announced on August 9 that Kakamega will host the conference on September 8 to interrogate what ails the industry.

The conference seeks to craft a blueprint that will shape state policy towards solving the sugar industry's problems sustainably.

The sugar sub-sector supports the livelihoods of more than 8 million people.

"We shall invite all stakeholders on board to submit their contributions on the sub-sector,” Barasa said.

"We want to find solutions to all challenges facing the sugar industry as the Mulembe nation."

Wesechere said there are several reports on what ails the sugar sub-sector, and recommendations on what should be done to get the industry out of the woods.

He said two reports on sugar industry were prepared by governors in 2014 and 2019, and another by the presidential task force in 2020.

“We expect those responsible in government to come to the conference and inform farmers how far they have gone with implementation matrixes of the recommendations for short-term, mid-term and long-term,” he said.

“If the conference is not for finding out what ails the industry, then it is a waste of public resources because this is already in the public domain.” 

He said the biggest problem facing the industry is lack of regulations, where anyone can walk in and do anything without caring how their actions are impacting on other industry players.

“The conference should establish why the sugar subsector is continuously in trouble when others like coffee, tea and pyrethrum are thriving as the government watches,” Wesechere said.

“How can private millers just wake up one day and suspend milling sugar for four months without bothering about farmers?”

The 14 counties that form the LREB are Bomet, Bungoma, Busia, Homa Bay, Kisumu, Kakamega, Kericho, Kisii, Migori, Nandi, Narok, Siaya, Trans Nzoia and Vihiga.

More than 90 per cent of sugar factories are located in counties within the bloc.

The conference will be held at a time all sugar factories have stopped milling sugar for four months to allow cane maturity.

This follows a consultation meeting between millers and the Agriculture and Food Authority in Kisumu a month ago.

Stoppage of sugar production has resulted in a rise in sugar prices, forcing the government to authorise importation of sugar into the country to stabilise prices.

The sugar conference comes on the backdrop of successful tea and coffee conferences, which have initiated a discussion by the stakeholders aimed at solving problems in the sub-sectors.

President William Ruto said a week ago that the government had already issued sugar import licences to ship in sugar from outside the Comesa markets. 

He said this was because most countries in the Comesa bloc were facing sugarcane shortage.

The Cabinet has approved leasing of state-owned sugar factories under a framework to investors who will turn them around to profitability in its latest attempt to revive the industry.

Prime CS Musalia Mudavadi and National Assembly speaker Moses Wetang’ula have confirmed they will attend the conference.

Mudavadi said revival of the collapsed sugar factories in the region is top on the agenda for the region by the Kenya Kwanza government.

“We cannot afford not to support this government if we need to create jobs and wealth for our people," he said.

"The sector is in a mess and we are gearing up to make things work. We will lease the mills to investors who can turn them around for the good of the economy of our people.

"The new investors will not take away the land that you people in cane growing areas donated to the companies. No, they will just use them for the span of their lease then leave them back to society. Forget about the rumours about the land being sold off for good."

Wetang’ula said the sub-sector, just like that of tea and coffee, is important to the nation's economy as it supports more than 8 million livelihoods.

“We are in a crisis that has led to the suspension of crushing of cane and we have to walk out of it by discussing the solutions,” he said.

“No factory in the Western region has enough sugarcane to crush, and it is good that a conference has been organised for these talks.”