Relief as miller vows to harvest sugarcane

Sugarcane farmer Charles Otieno transports his sugarcane home at Ramoya Village, Ndhiwa sub county on March 2, 2020. [James Omoro, Standard]

More than 1,000 sugarcane farmers in Ndhiwa Sub-county can now sigh with relief after a miller promised to harvest their crop.  

The farmers planted sugarcane through an agreement with Sukari Industry Limited. However, their cane has not been harvested since last September, when rains began pounding the area. This led to widespread protests as they decried losses.

But on Tuesday evening, the company’s Harvesting and Transport Manager John Okinda and their Advisory Board Chairman Vitalis Okinda said they will begin to harvest the sugarcane from today.

Speaking during a meeting between the miller’s management and farmers at Ramoya village in Ndhiwa Sub-county, John said they had begun the process of dispatching tractors to various sugarcane growing zones in the sub-county.

Losses incurred

“We will start to harvest sugarcane from all farmers in Ndhiwa Sub-county from Wednesday. Our aim is to cushion farmers from losses incurred through destruction of their cane,” John said.

He said the company had taken long before harvesting the farmers’ crops due to rains, which have been pounding the area since September last year.

Vitalis decried importation of sugar into the country, which he said will kill many sugar millers.

“Our farmers are complaining of fluctuating prices. This is caused by importation of sugar into the country,” Vitalis said, while calling on the authorities to curb the crisis.

Ramoya and Kolwalo sugarcane farmers through their secretary Paul Odoyo decried losses they had incurred due to failure by the miller to harvest the crop.

“Most of us have incurred losses due to the miller’s failure to harvest our cane,” Odoyo said, further urging the company to repair roads in the area. [James Omoro]