Kenya Sugar Manufacturers Association has written to CS Agriculture Peter Munya and Kakamega Governor Wyclif Oparanya seeking to lift a ban on sugarcane imports.
Through its chairman Jayanti Patel, KESMA says that one of their millers Busia Sugarcane Industries is currently facing the challenge of low supply of sugarcane to mills in their catchment area.
“The miller has requested that the sugarcane ban be lifted with regards to the row cane for milling as they need to supplement their sources so as to be able to mill their capacity, " Patel said in the letter dated August 4,2020.
KESMA says that the situation of low sugarcane supply is as a result of low uptake of sugarcane farming in the Busia Region.
“Busia Sugar Company is already working on enhancing sugarcane farming in the country. However, in the meantime they need a solution,” Patel said.
In the letter, KESMA says that lifting the ban on the supply of sugarcane from Uganda will result in no conflict of interest whatsoever as local supply of the crop is currently insufficient.
He added that the situation is only temporary and once enough cane has been developed and available importation of the same will be unnecessary.
"Kindly take the necessary action to boost sugar production for the local market,” he said.
Chairman Western Development Initiative Association (WEDIA)Joseph Barasa says that the little cane available is on the low land making harvesting more problematic hence resulting in factories struggling to operate.
“However, farmers have been encouraged to plant more canes as cane from outside can only be allowed in when there is scarcity of raw material,” he said.
WEDIA is a lobbygroup that fights for the rights of the farmers.
In July, Munya banned importation of brown sugar to tighten the measures on illegal sugar imports in order to close the loopholes.
The orders further stated that the importation of raw sugarcane into the country was prohibited with immediate effect and that all applications for the importations of brown sugar shall be subjected to the sugar imports/exports regulations soon to be gazette.
On the contrary, our source indicated that the above-mentioned quantities of sugar have already been imported into the country by the said companies in total contravention of the banning orders issued by the Minister.
Speaking on phone, Agriculture and Food Authority Director General Antony Muteithi denied having knowledge of the said sugar that had been imported into the Country and promised to make a follow-up to get to the bottom of it.
