In February 2024,Agricultural Food Authority (AFA) gave a directive to all millers to crush half of their daily crushing capacity inorder to allow cane to mature in the farms.
This has since become nightmare to farmers as they are crying foul that their canes are not being crushed yet the canes have now matured enough.
Most farmers are now saying that despite the directive made by AFA in February some companies continue crushing to full capacity daily yet they still claim to follow the directives from AFA.
Farmers also claims that some companies are doing sugar importation that will inturn kill the sugar industry if the government is not keen on stopping milling companies from importation.
Richard Ogendo is the secretary for sugarcane Growers Association who spoke to KTMN citing the importation of sugar by milling companies is one of the things killing the sugar industry in the region.
” Milling companies should not import sugar rather it should be done by individual companies registered to do that,sugarcane farmers are now suffering because of the sugar importation by milling companies”,said Ogendo.
It’s alleged that Butali Sugar in kakamega county has been doing full crushing despite the directive from Agricultural Food Authority( AFA).
This has however made the farmers to be more worried why they can’t take canes from the farms yet they do full crushing against the directive of AFA.
One of the farmers from Kakamega who asked to remain anonymous said that Butali sugar is alleged to be doing sugar importation thus doesn’t want AFA to open for the companies to go in full crushing capacity.”
They are doing full crushing yet they don’t take canes from farmers too citing the directive from the government and this is because they are doing sugar importation,” Said anonymous source.
Farmers are also asking AFA to open for the milling companies to go back to full crushing capacity to help them crush their canes which are drying in the farms.
They alleged that companies like Butali who are allegedly doing sugar importation does not want AFA to open the window period of crushing fully.
Farmers across western region are now asking Agricultural Food Authority to come out and help them from the rouge millers who doesn’t respect farmers interest and also requesting the the government to stop the sugar importation being done by the milling companies.