Sugarcane Farmers Lobby for strict regulation of sugar imports

Is the government playing its role in ensuring the achievement of the big-4-agenda? Taking a step back into history, Kenya in 2017, imported more sugar than it produced, a time when production was at its lowest. Obsolete machines, large debts, cane poaching, disillusioned farmers, corrupt transporters and regulations define what is today the sugar industry in the country. KNFSF chairman Ibrahim Juma said during a media briefing in Nairobi the sugar industry is in dire need of urgent attention in order to address the plight of the farmers. He said the players are out to frustrate government efforts to revive the sugar industry as they want to ensure their market space is not interrupted.

Small-scale sugar farmers want the national government to form a special committee to help in regulating imports as part of streamlining the struggling industry. Kenya National Federation of Sugarcane Farmers (KNFSF) on Tuesday dismissed a parallel taskforce, saying it is being funded by private millers and other prominent actors and thus out to frustrate Government efforts to revamp the industry.  

“A special committee comprising all value chain players should be established to strictly control importation of sugar into the country,” the farmers lobby group demanded. They import huge supplies thus contributing to the dismal performance of the local industry and in the process worsen the plight of the small-scale farmers,” he added.   Traditionally, Kenya does not produce sufficient stock of sugar for consumers, hence the country imports more than 200,000 tonnes every year, according to sugar directorate. However, sugar dealers import more through porous border points, thus flooding the local market.

The directorate’s interim head Solomon Odera says the quota Kenya imports from  Comesa region changes annually in line with the organisation’s council resolutions. “Our obligation for 2018 was 210,000 tonnes of table sugar,” said Odera in a phone interview.