Looming sugar shortage in Kenya as Comesa countries run out of sweetener

Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) chairperson Cornelly Serem. [File, Standard]

In the meeting with various players in the sugar sector, it was also resolved that the ban on sugar milling that affected a number of factories in west Kenya and Nyando Sugar belt be sustained until December 1 to allow sugarcane to mature.

"We came to do a review and know the status of cane availability in the country. We have made a ruling that the status quo remains. Factories will remain closed until December," Serem said.

This move, he said, is targeted to protect the interests of the sugarcane farmers while also ensuring that there is enough sugar in the country. Crushing of immature sugarcane, he said, will see farmers run into losses due to lack of weight as well as low sucrose.

Kenya Sugar Millers Association chairperson Jayanti Patel emphasised the need for compliance with the AFA directive to millers, noting that indeed there's no enough sugarcane in the country.

"We have confirmed that there is no mature sugarcane currently in Western Kenya and also in the Nyando belt. With consultation with AFA, we have closed the factories and all millers have agreed to let the cane grow until December when we will have mature sugarcane to mill and get good sugar from them," Patel said.

Serem, however, said that the authority has opened an olive branch to factories with enough mature sugarcane to make formal applications so that they be allowed to continue with their milling activities. This application will be subjected to technical assessment by the authority to ascertain the availability of the cane by the factories.

So far, three factories, including the Kisumu-based Kibos Sugar factory, Busia and Olepito in the Trans Mara region, have made their application to be allowed to crush cane, according to the authority.

There are fears some rogue businessmen could take advantage of the current situation to horde sugar in order to worsen the shortage, with an eye on ballooning prices.

The struggling sugar industry, whose financial mess has left thousands jobless and farmers impoverished, is a topic that has dominated President William Ruto's goal for the country, but farmers insist the future is still bleak for the sector and describe the revival attempts as public relations stunts.

The status of the State-owned millers are also in a deplorable state with farmers claiming that they have been compelled to wait for several months before receiving any pay for the cane delivered.