Agriculture Food Authority (AFA) maintains that sugar mills will remain closed until December to allow sugarcane to mature.
AFA chairman Cornelly Serem says the crushing ban still stands, and mills will be allowed to start crushing in the last month of 2023.
“We envisaged that the period under the ban is enough for the majority of cane in the plantation to mature,” he said.
However, three private millers have applied to be allowed to crush cane, which Serem says the applications will be looked into and a decision given based on an individual’s mill.
Speaking to the press in Kisumu on Tuesday during a meeting with sugar millers in the country, he announced that a team of AFA officials will be on the ground to confirm cane availability in their regions by next week.
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“The mills that have applied to AFA to be allowed to crush include Kibos, Busia and Olepito sugar factories,” he said.
Further, Serem says the three mills will be allowed to crush if they demonstrate cane availability in their areas.
“We are flexible, if we have information on availability of cane, then we will allow them to continue crushing,” he said.
Additionally, he says most factories in the past were harvesting immature cane; hence, farmers were losing millions of shillings.
Moreover, Serem dismissed claims that the government closed factories to be able to import sugar, noting that there is no cane to be crushed.
“By December 1st, we will allow mills to operate but gradually until June next year when it will now be full-blast,” he said.
Kenya Sugar Manufacturers Association (KESMA) Chairman Jayant Patel agrees with AFA to wait until December, save for the three mills, to allow the cane to mature.
“By December, cane in the farms will be between 16 to 18 months, which is viable to mill and get good sugar,” he said.
Patel says they are working closely with the government to ensure the revival of the sugar industry is a success.
