Migori tobacco farmers now switch to sorghum

Tobacco farmers in Migori are turning to sorghum after the collapse of the tobacco leaf market.PHOTO: COURTESY

Tobacco farmers in Migori are turning to sorghum after the collapse of the tobacco leaf market.

Beer-maker East African Breweries is offering the farmers’ a lucrative market for sorghum as the farmers come to terms with the socio-economic impact occasioned the exit of Alliance One Tobacco Company, which was the biggest tobacco leaf buyer in the county.

The company is reported to have moved to Uganda and Zimbabwe, citing poor leaf quality in Kenya. The other buyers, BAT Kenya and Mastermind Tobacco, still operate in the region, but on small scale.

For many years, Tobacco and sugarcane have been the major cash crops in the region that has fed families, educated children and been a notable source of livelihood for thousands of the people especially in Kuria and Nyatike Sub-counties.

The entry of EABL, which has pitched camp in the region, has been most welcomed as the brewer ensures there is a ready market for sorghum.

Kuria West deputy county commissioner Sebastian Okiring told The Standard that the company has come to fill the void created by the departure of the major tobacco firm in the County.

The commissioner urged the residents of both sub-counties to embrace sorghum farming on a large scale.

“So far the brewer has accepted to pay Sh35 for a kilogramme of sorghum if a farmer meets the input costs,” he said.

East African Breweries Ltd has recruited new farmers in Nyanza to produce sorghum, which is used in the manufacture of its popular drink, Senator Keg.

The brewer hopes to raise its sorghum uptake to meet growing demand for the low-end beer whose consumption has soared more than three times.

In a bid to offer an alternative, the County government has been giving poultry and dairy cattle to farmers.