Sugarcane farmers from Homa Bay and Migori counties staged a demonstration to protest against failure by a miller to pick up harvested cane, causing them to incur losses.
For the last two weeks, a number of farmers harvested their sugarcane on hundreds of acres, expecting it to be transported to Sukari Industry Ltd in Ndhiwa West Sub-county.
However, their sugarcane has been drying in the farms following a strike by drivers working at the mill.
The drivers are protesting alleged poor remuneration. They are paid Sh39 per ton of sugarcane they transport from plantations to the sugar factory.
“We have downed our tools as drivers of Sukari Industry because the Sh39 per ton of sugarcane we are paid does not help us. Imagine someone may end up with only Sh2000 in a month,” said Jim Otieno, a driver.
The drivers are demanding a salary of Sh21,000 or better terms.
The strike has paralysed collection of sugarcane from farmers in Migori and Homa Bay counties.
On Wednesday, the farmers staged a demonstration outside Sukari Industry and demanded that the management resolve the stalemate.
Raphael Owino, a chairman of the farmers, said the harvested sugarcane had stayed in farms for two weeks.
Owino lamented that the delay in collecting the sugarcane will make them suffer huge losses.
“Our sugarcane is drying in farms because it has already been harvested and there is a hot sun in this region. Dry sugarcane has no weight, meaning we will incur huge financial losses because we are paid per ton,” he said.
Peter Ogalo, the chairman of sugarcane farmers in the Kobodo area, said they are grappling with huge bills and the stalemate was a serious violation of their economic rights.
“It is difficult to grow sugarcane to maturity. What is disturbing is that our sugarcane is drying in farms because nobody can transport it,” Ogalo said.
He told Sukari Industry management to end the stalemate so that their sugarcane can be transported to the firm.
“Let the management of this company know that we are suffering. Let them solve their problem with drivers and start transporting our sugarcane,” Ogalo said.
Deborah Omondi, a farmer, expressed concerns that her children could not go to school due to lack of school fees, yet her harvested sugarcane was drying in the farm.
“I have a patient in a hospital, but I can’t pay my SHA subscription because I have no money,” Omondi said.
The farmers appealed to the government to intervene in the matter.
“This problem is adversely affecting our livelihoods. We appeal to the government to look at how to cushion us from this serious economic loss,” said Paul Agin, a farmer.
