Mumias Sugar Company’s setbacks seems to be endless. The company had indicated that they will ‘open shop’last Sunday but now the company has been compounded by a Sh14 million loss it suffered after fires razed down 500 hectares of cane in the factory’s nucleus estate.
The company which had initially indicated it would resume operations starting last Sunday claims the loss has greatly affected its chances of revival adding that majority of farmers have also uprooted their cane.
Acting managing director Isaac Sheunda, speaking on Thursday at the company’s main office in Mumias, said the factory’s machinery had however been put on a trial run this week using some of the burnt cane to ascertain the viability of the factory.
“On Tuesday, we conducted the trial run to test whether the factory is in good condition as we prepare to resume operations. We realised that only a few areas need to be repaired but the factory is in very good condition after it produced juice that will be used to process ethanol,” said Mr Sheunda.
The factory has stalled since April last year when it was closed for lack of raw material to crush. This week, it was to restart full operations but lack of cane now means only the trial run was done.