By Jabali Digital
The government has been challenged to issue subsidized fertilizer to sugarcane farmers across the country, in a bid to increase cane production.
Francis Wangara, Secretary General, Kenya Union of Sugar Plantation Workers (KUSPAW) said cane production has been dwindling in the country, due to the difficulties farmers face in accessing inputs such as fertilizer.
“We urge the government through the Kenya Sugar Board to make sure that they supply enough fertilizer to the mills so that the farmers can be supplied with that fertilizer. In fact, it should be subsidized fertilizer like it is applicable to other farm crops,” said Wangara, while addressing the press in his office in Kisumu on Wednesday afternoon.
Wangara said several farmers especially in Western region had abandoned cane farming due to the high cost of inputs which leads to limited profits, calling on sugar millers to take a leading role in convincing them to track back.
“The millers must move out of their offices and go and have repeated barasas with the farmers to address issues that the farmers could be raising.”
“Some farmers have even abandoned cane farming but they need to be talked to. That is when they will have the availability of supply of cane,” he added.
Wangara spoke a day after the Kenya Sugar Board (KSB) issued a notice for temporary closure of milling operations in the lower and upper western catchment areas, due to cane shortage.
The notice which takes effect on June 14, 2025 will be operational for three months to allow sugar cane in the aforementioned areas to mature.
“This is due to inadequate cane development to match milling capacity. This has led to harvesting and subsequent milling of immature cane. Consequently, sugarcane farmers are incurring losses due to lower cane yields associated with immature cane harvesting,” the notice reads in part.
The decision, the notice said, was arrived at during a stakeholder consultative meeting held in Kisumu on July 04, 2025.
“In the intervening period, the Board shall within two months undertake a cane availability survey to inform the milling capacity of each factory upon the resumption of operations. All millers should aggressively develop cane to ensure adequate supply of raw material in future,” said Jude Chesire, KSB acting CEO in the notice copied to among others, Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe.
The affected millers are Nzoia Sugar Company, Butali Sugar Mills, West Kenya Sugar Company, Mumias Sugar Company, Busia Sugar Industry, West Kenya Olepito Unit and West Kenya Naitiri Unit.
Wangara however said that any sugar miller with enough cane can appeal the decision, to be allowed to carry on with milling activities.
He proposed that the sugar companies give workers some token for the purpose of sustaining themselves during the three month period.