The Chairperson of the Kenya National Federation of Sugarcane Farmers, Ezra Okoth, has called on the new Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Development, Dr. Andrew Mwihia, to reconstitute the Sugarcane Pricing Committee. This committee, an autonomous body comprising representatives from the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA), the Ministry of Agriculture, farmers, millers, and members from sugar-producing counties, plays a crucial role in determining sugarcane prices.
Okoth expressed concern over the sharp decline in sugarcane prices, which have fallen from KSh 5,900 per tonne in March to KSh 5,125 in June, and further to KSh 4,950 in August. He highlighted that the current prices are unsustainable given the high cost of production, leading to significant losses for farmers.
“A farmer cannot benefit if the costs per tonne keep reducing while the cost of production is still high,” Okoth lamented.
In response to these challenges, Okoth urged Dr. Mwihia to convene a meeting with sugarcane stakeholders, including millers, the sugar directorate, and farmers, to address the pressing issues in the sector.
Additionally, Okoth called for amendments to the Sugar Bill 2022, which aims to tackle problems such as unhealthy competition among millers, payment periods, price stabilization, and compensation for cane by-products. If enacted, the Bill would also restore the powers of the Kenya Sugar Board, currently managed by the Sugar Directorate under the Agriculture and Food Authority Act, 2013.
On the matter of market competition, Okoth advocated for regional zoning to protect local cane farmers from external competition. “Is it ethical for sugarcane to be imported from Western to Nyanza millers while we have cane farmers in those regions?” he questioned.
Finally, Okoth urged the sugar directorate to continue supporting the Kenya Sugar Research Institute, emphasizing the need for new and improved cane varieties to enhance production and secure the future of the sugar industry in Kenya.
