Farmers Push for a Committee to Regulate Sugar Importation

Kenyan sugar farmers have urged the government to form a committee tasked to oversee sugar importation to the country.

According to Ibrahim Juma, the Chairman of the Kenya National Federation of Sugarcane, the state should create a committee that includes farmers to monitor imports.

Acknowledging that the sugar industry is in dire need of saving, Juma said that the committee will come in handy in addressing the plight of farmers.

“There are people out to frustrate the government’s efforts to revive the sugar industry and thus want to ensure their market space is not interrupted. They import huge supplies into the country and thus contribute to the dismal performance of the local industry and more so worsen the plight of the small-scale farmers,” he said.

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Court cases involving mills and payment to farmers seemingly take forever to be heard; this is another agenda the farmers are pushing for. They need a tribunal revived to help in the handling of such cases.

In 2017 when sugar production was at its lowest, Kenya imported more sugar than it produced, according to the 2018 Economic Survey.

The imports almost tripled to hit 989,600 tons in 2017, as opposed to 376,100 tons the year before.

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Incidentally, the total local production of sugar dropped by 41.2 percent from 639, 700 tons in 2016, to 376,100 tons in 2017. Sugarcane farms during the same year also reduced to 191,200 hectares, as opposed to 220,800 hectares in 2016.

According to Juma, if there were proper regulations put in place, the excessive importation, poaching, and poor payment will be reduced significantly.

“Sugarcane farmers are yet to be paid Sh2.6 billion as the president directed during Jamhuri day celebration. Farmers from Mumias have waited for their money for 24 months,” he stated.

Currently, the Mumias still owes farmers about 1.2 billion shillings. Proper regulations and a tribunal should help in clearing that.

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