A proposal to tie sugarcane farmers to specific millers in their areas of cultivation has emerged as the most contentious issue as farmers continue with a parallel effort to draft sugar regulations.
The idea of cane zoning, which is being pushed to save public millers from unfair competition, has already elicited heated debate with stakeholders pulling in different directions.
Zoning rules compel farmers to sell their produce to millers in their area irrespective of price offer and payment history.
While most sugarcane farmers, driven by free market rule, have opposed zoning, the policy last week received backing from a section of Mumias growers who say it will save Kenya’s once giant miller. Through the ongoing stakeholder engagements conducted by the parallel task force of sugarcane farmers, the growers accused the team chaired by former chairman of defunct Kenya Sugar Board Saulo Busolo of pushing the agenda of private millers.
Cane growers under the umbrella of Kenya National Alliance of Sugarcane Farmers Organisation pointed out that zoning would tie farmers to non-performing millers and subject them to poverty.
The team includes farmers who feel sidelined by the 16-member task force co-chaired by Agriculture CS Mwangi Kiunjuri and Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya
“The government task force assembled is a sham and amounts to the government, talking to itself, investigating itself and concluding by itself,” said Steve Narupa, National chairman of Kenya National Federation of Sugar cane Farmers.
Farmers from Nyando sugar belt have threatened to uproot cane if the government goes ahead to introduce restrictions on where they can deliver their produce.
"We are not going to allow the introduction of zoning after similar policies failed in the past and led State millers to accumulate billions of shillings in arrears to farmers," said Douglas Martin, a farmer from Chemelil-Chemase.
“Forcing farmers to sell to a single buyer, who will be the only miller they can sell to will kill the morale of farmers," he added during a meeting at Miwani Catholic Church last Thursday
The farmers who started their engagement last Monday have so far covered farmers in Nzoia, Mumias, Butali, Olepito and Busia Sugar Industry in Western Kenya as well as Miwani, Chemelil and Muhoroni.
“We plan to cover South Nyanza-based sugar mills this week before concluding with Kwale to enable us come up with a comprehensive document which will address issues of the farmers,” he said.
Mr Kiunjuri has ruled out engaging the parallel team.
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