Agriculture and Food Authority director-general Willis Audi said they plan to lift suspension of cane milling on December 1. “Yes. This is the plan (to lift the suspension on December 1),” Audi was quoted by Business Daily. John Lucheli, a cane development director in Western Kenya, said normal operations will begin in early December, as reported by Lubao FM. Lucheli noted they were registering farmers to deliver mature and clean cane. Why did AFA suspend cane milling? On Friday, July 14, the Agriculture and Food Authority issued directives to local sugar millers to suspend operations until November 2023. The move aimed at allowing sugarcane planted in the Western part of Kenya to mature. After the suspension, Treasury CS Njuguna Ndung’u gazetted the importation of 100,000 metric tonnes of duty-free sugar from outside the COMESA region. What are cane prices? In March, three sugarcane millers in Western Kenya increased cane prices as the battle for farmers intensified. Butali Sugar Mills Ltd made the first move on Wednesday, March 22, notifying all its farmers of the increase in cane prices. “This is to inform all esteemed farmers that effective March 20, our cane price will be KSh 5,200 per tonne. We thank all our farmers for their continued support and supply of cane to the factory,” Butali stated in a memo seen by TUKO.co.ke. During the same date, Mumias Sugar Company, which has roared back to life raised prices from KSh 4,584 per tonne to KSh 5,250 per tonne. “We appreciate your continued support and supply of cane to the factory. Kindly note that with effect from Wednesday, March 22, our cane price will be KSh 5,250 per tonne,” Mumias said. In a notice dated Thursday, March 23, West Kenya Sugar Company Ltd was not left behind as it announced it had increased cane price per tonne to KSh 5,250.
BY TUKO NEWS