Cane farmers want the government to streamline the sugar industry as its New Year gift to them.
“The New Year gift the President can give us as farmers is to ensure regulations that are farmer-friendly and one that will end the current confusion in the sector,” Kenya National Federation of Sugarcane Farmers deputy secretary Simon Wesechere said.
The sector has been riddled with challenges ranging from delayed payments, unfair competition for raw materials by rival millers and heavy debts that threaten state-owned millers with collapse.
Farmers contracted to state-owned factories have not been paid arrears totalling Sh2.6 billion.
In October, President Uhuru Kenyatta directed Treasury CS Henry Rotich and Agriculture’s Mwangi Kiunjuri to come up with a framework on how to pay the arrears.
Staff have also gone without pay for months in most of the factories. The amount is owed to farmers contracted by Mumias, Muhoroni, Miwani, Chemilil, Nzoia and Sony sugar companies.
Wesechere asked the government to fast-track the formulation and gazettement of regulations to steady operations in the sector and protect growers.
He said new regulations will spell out what roles the miller and farmer plays.
Uhuru directed that a task force be established to look into the ways of reviving the industry. The team is expected to come up with regulations and a road map on how best to re-engineer the sector that supports livelihoods of over 10 million Kenyans back to profitability.
The task force is co-chaired by Kiunjuri and Kakamega governor Wycliffe Oparanya. It is yet to come up with a report.
Butali Sugarcane Farmers Association chairman William Kopi said zoning will protect farmers from exploitation.