Government bails out Chemelil Sugar cane farmers at shs 300 million.

 Kisumu Governor Prof. Anyang Nyong'o shakes hands with CS Agriculture Willy Bett during a meeting with sugar cane farmers at Chemelil Sugar on Thursday.The Government given a total of shillings 300 million as bail out to the farmers-Photo By Dickson Odhiambo.

By Dickson Odhiambo.

November 3, 2017.

Government bails out Chemelil Sugar cane farmers at shs 300 million.   

     

THE National Government has given a total of shillings 300 million so as to help Chemelil Sugar Factory in paying debts it owes sugar cane farmers supplying it with the raw material.

The Cabinet Secretary in charge of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Willy Bett says this money is meant to pay the debts the state-owned Sugar miller is owing the sugar cane farmers who have been supplying it with the commodity.

Addressing the sugar cane farmers from Kisumu and Nandi counties at Chemelil Sugar Factory on Thursday, the Cabinet Secretary the state owned Sugar millers across the country should first consider paying the sugar cane farmers providing it with the raw material before doing any other payment.

He says this is very much important because it will help in making the farmers continue supplying the sugar factories with the commodity.

“Today we have come here to bail out the sugar cane farmers who are supplying this factory because of the arrears not paid by this factory,” he says.

Bett calls for prudent management of the various state owned sugar millers so as to be able to pay the sugar cane farmers promptly.

“Unless you show me that the sugar cane processed after the farmers have supplied the factories with the sugar cane was not sold then there is no reason why the farmers should not be paid first and as a government we are saying enough is enough,” Bett adds.

He says both the National and County Governments will work together to ensure that the deficit in sugar cane production across the country is addressed.

He says the price of sugar cane being paid to the farmers should not change due to sugar importation

The Cabinet Secretary says the national Government will try and address the issue of the Chemelil Sugar Factory’s employees not paid their salaries for the last eight months.

He urges the management of the Chemelil Sugar Company to consider paying the employees should part of the funds being used to bail out the sugar cane farmers remains.

On his part, Kisumu County Governor Prof Peter Anyang Nyong’o and his Nandi county counterpart Stephen Sang have also called for the good management practices at the sugar cane factories owned by the National Government so as to help benefit the farmer.

Governor Nyong’o on his part has suggested that there should be change in doing sugar cane farming within the two counties so as to help in improving the production of the commodity.

Nyong’o says block farming for sugar cane production is good and this should be promoted, adding that this will ensure that there will be sugar cane being harvested at different times.

Nyong’o has said that the issue of zoning sugar cane nuclear should be reintroduced, adding that this will help in ensuring that there is enough sugar cane to be crushed by a particular factory situated within an area.

ENDS: