Sugarcane farmers embrace dairy as millers' war rages

Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya has said licensing controversy between Butali Sugar Mills and West Kenya Sugar Company Limited should be resolved immediately and all millers allowed to operate.

“It is our position that the current licensing controversy between Butali Sugar and West Kenya Sugar Company Limited be resolved immediately,” Oparanya notes.

West Kenya Sugar Company has been in and out of courts accusing Butali Sugar Mills of invading its operational zone.

Kakamega Senator Bonni Khalwale in a memorandum to the Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Authority (AFFA) highlighted the distances between 11 mills in three different sugar cane growing zones (Western, Nyando and South Nyanza) and wondered why West Kenya had issues with Butali’s proximity to its mill.

“Mumias Sugar Company is only 22kms from Nzoia Sugar Company - West Kenya is 22kms, Kibos Sugar and Allied Limited is 12kms from Miwani which is 17Kms from Chemelil. Chemelil is 12 km from Muhoroni, Sukari Industries Limited is 16kms from Sony sugar, Trans Mara Sugar is 26kms from Sony while in Busia zone 3 factories have been licensed within 20kms,” Khalwale said.

Khalwale noted that the factories have led to timely harvesting of cane, subsidised transport rates, fair prices and improved permitting process with organised transport system.

The dispute between West Kenya and Butali began in 2005 when West Kenya filed a case number 1127/2005 claiming the Sugar Act did not allow another mill within a 40km radius from an existing mill.

Kenya Sugarcane Growers Association chairman Ibrahim Juma said they are concerned with farmers’ welfare and Butali should be allowed to operate.

“Butali has invested more than 4.5 billion and has more than 35,000 contracted farmers whose interest should be taken into account,” Juma noted.

With these current sugar tussles, most farmers in Kakamega North have started embracing dairy farming as their new hope.

Farmers allied to Kabras Dairy farmers’ society, which started few months ago have partnered with Samia Diaries Company in Rift valley to buy milk directly from the group and plans to support them with other projects.

The company’s Director Sanjay Sharma explained that the company was exploring ways to help farmers develop alternative revenue streams.

Addressing farmers in Malava town, Sharma said setting up of a milk cooler in the area will address huge loses that dairy farmers have been incurring.

“In the next coming days we shall set up a milk cooling plant in Malava so long as they venture into dairy farming to enable us boost milk production. We will also introduce Artificial Insemination which will lead to high breed yield,” Sharma said.

The farmers are looking to increase volumes of milk to boost their earnings and there are groups like Western Kenya Community Driven and Flood Mitigation Project which donates milking cows to farmers who have shown interest.

“Let’s shift to other revenue streams, which will generate income quickly rather than depending on cane which takes more than 12 months and the income is less,” Sharma explained.

Kabras Dairy farmers’ society Secretary Elijah Lucheri said dairy sector is the way forward for farmers because the sugar industry is ailing.

“Let farmers seek other ways that can generate income like dairy farming, vegetable and horticulture rather than depending on cane alone,” Lucheri says.

The chairman of the cooperative John Cheka said in collaboration with relevant government departments and stakeholders they are working towards restoring farmers’ confidence in the dairy sector as a viable economic activity.

“Many farmers in Malava are abandoning cane farming for dairy because they have no hope in sugar farming,” Cheka notes.

Samitsi out growers chairman for west Kenya Daniel Ondenyi said sugar factories are fleecing farmers by charging them exorbitantly for services and inputs extended to them on credit.

“Contracted farmers are at the centre of cane poaching crisis and are forced to sell their cane to buyers whom they are not contracted to,” adds Ondenyi.