More than 100,000 farmers in Transmara, Narok county, have threatened to abandon sugarcane farming over what they term "delayed harvesting" by a local miller.
Led by Kenya National Federation of Sugarcane Farmers Transmara Branch chairperson Stephen Narupa, the farmers claimed that Transmara Sugar company has been delaying harvesting of canes for even up to 60 months, leading to massive losses among their farmers.
The cane should be harvested after every 24 months.
When contacted, Transmara Sugar Company CEO Fredrick North Coombes did not pick calls or respond to text messages.
Speaking to the press in Kilgoris town at the weekend, Narupa said more than 24,000 acres of cane have not been harvested and if delayed further, this would make them lose the sucrose content and weight.
“If the company does not have the capacity to handle all the cane from our farmers, the state should revoke their licence or issue it to a company that can handle to end the suffering of farmers,” he said.
Narupa is also the national treasurer of Kenya National Federation of Sugarcane Farmers.
He said if the trend continues, they might be forced to abandon the crop and venture into dairy, beef and maize farming.
“The Maasai community are pastoralists and like keeping cows and we left that and engaged in sugarcane farming with a clear message that we will get maximum returns from it but that is not the case,” Narupa said.
He said most farmers were facing financial woes and their children might drop out of school.
