Taskforce report faces opposition from cane farmers

A report on revival of the sugar industry is facing major opposition after a member of the taskforce disowned it.

Francis Waswa, a farmers’ representative in the taskforce formed by President Uhuru Kenyatta has claimed manipulation by other stakeholders.

He claims that the draft report has been edited to reintroduce the contentious issue of zoning, which he claims farmers had rejected.

The report is set to be presented to Uhuru by the team co-chaired by Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri and Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya.

He further claimed that the taskforce ignored a majority of views by cane farmers, including their push to have payment period after cane delivery reduced from the current 30 days to 7 days.

Waswa argues that the re-introduction of zoning goes against the interest of farmers, who wants a willing buyer willing-seller environment.

“The truth of the matter is that the overwhelming majority of cane farmers are opposed to zoning and this fact has not been acknowledged in the edited report,” said Waswa.

“My conscience cannot allow me to keep silent in the face of a brazen attempt to misrepresent the views of farmers that I have successfully persuaded the taskforce to consider and accommodate,” he added.

He has since written a protest letter to Kiunjuri and Oparanya, accusing the team of sneaking back an old draft that they had amended.

“The document encompasses contentious issues that are not acceptable to the farmers and sugar millers and yet it is apparently being prepared for gazettement as it is,” he said in the letter.

He said he will not append his signature in the document if the proposals by farmers are not included in the final document.

A draft document obtained by The Standard indicates that the wants millers locked out from sugar importation and cane poaching banned as part of its radical proposals to revamp the ailing sector.

It has also proposed privatisation of state-owed millers by selling out 51 per cent stake to private investors. The team wants the process to commence by June this year.

In a raft of recommendations, the team that started its sittings last year December also proposes prompt payment to farmers, and has recommended enforcement of provisions that requires millers to make payment within a week of cane delivery.

Consequently, millers that will not make payments within the set period would be liable to an interest to be calculated at prevailing market rate.

Late payments for canes delivery, smuggling of contraband sugar, cane poaching, debts are some of the key issues that have continued to sink the sector, with farmers complaining that they cannot continue with their farming activities when factories are holding their money.

The team further wants full automation of weighbridges to enhance transparency on cane tonnage to end claims of manipulation of the quantity of cane delivered the factories.

The report also proposes a clearly defined guidelines and regulations for sugar imports and export to curb excessive importation and ensure a stable market.

The team also wants enhanced inter-agency surveillance to curb sugar smuggling as well as develop a marketing framework which ensures access of local sugar in the entire country at competitive prices.

It wants millers to deal with cane development and let traders import the commodity under the control of state agencies.

The stakeholders argue that if millers were allowed to import, they will abandon cane growing and flood the market with cheap non-Comesa sugar.