Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) has called upon cane farmers to immediately embark on development of the crop in order to stem the recurrent shortages that have been witnessed in the past.
Speaking at Chemelil Sugar Company during a joint medical eye camp, AFA director Samuel Ong’ow said the only option to combat cane shortages is to embark on massive cane development.
He said that through this, sugar milling factories which have been leased out will require substantial amounts of cane since most of them are up and running.
Ong’ow said the folly of cane shortages is that they lead to stagnation in milling and cane collection from farms.
He lauded reforms being undertaken by the administration of President William Ruto, which has led  re-establishment of the Kenya Sugar Board and its related function to the advantage of cane farmers and other stakeholders.
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He also lauded the government for offsetting debts previously owed to farmers to the tune of billions of shillings.
Ongow further called upon those who have contested the upcoming KSB elections in court to withdraw the same in order to pave way for the polls, saying that some of the issues raised can be ironed out of court.
The chairman of the Chatthe Group of Companies Raju Chathe noted that reforms so far undertaken in the sugar sector have led to the resurrection of towns which had long collapsed.
Chatthe said towns such as Awendo, Muhoroni and Chemelil together with Kibos have sprung back to life following relentless efforts by the government to revamp the sugar subsector.
He said cane farmers from Kisumu, Nandi and Kericho should come together and work in harmony.
By Fredrick Odiero
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