We’ll burn idle cane — frustrated farmers

 

Straddling the vast vistas of Suguta, Nyamarambe and Etago regions in South Mugirango in Kisii are acres of sugarcane. They were planted by farmers who used to grow maize but replaced it with the crop. 

Many peasants say they had abandoned maize for the right reason: good economic returns. The reality, however, is the cane in most farms has overgrown after the factory the county promised did not materialise.

Omari Onsongo, one of the farmers, says he is in a quandary. Canes in his farm are slowly losing value, and he fears this could affect the price. 

He says he would have harvested more than 400 sacks of maize had he persisted with it. 

Area MP Sylivanus Osoro says the clay and volcanic soil provides his people with the opportunity to earn money from sugarcane. 

"If tapped well, the region can economically sustain itself," he told the Star during an interview.

The site where the factory was planned to be set up is deserted. 

There was no bush clearance by Friday by the said Indian investor when journalists visited. 

Two, there had been no tangible commitment nor assurances from the county that the factory would be up soon. 

BOILING POINT

Today, the farmers and the leaders are united. In anger, that is. So palpable is the anger, you can cut it with a panga. 

A few farmers, tired of waiting for the sugar factory, said they want to burn and uproot the crop altogether.

They say three years of the crop 'idling' in their farms is too long. 

Worse, there is no sign in sight that what they had planted would be harvested soon, giving them more jitters. 

A spot check by the Star shows flowering sugarcane in many a farm, a sign of the overmaturing cane. 

Women are especially unhappy, with some saying it has not been easy making ends meet. 

They constitute the majority of those who wake up early to tend to the farms. 

Others said they took loans to help them change from maize to sugarcane.  Today, the lenders are on their backs. 

Teresa Bosibori said she cannot manage any longer to pay school fees for her two university-going students. They are studying in parallel programmes. 

When the journalists toured, one student was already at home, doing house chores. BY THE STAR