We will take care of sugar farmers’ interest in the House, MPs says.

 A section of sugar cane farmers who attended a meeting at Chemelil Sugar Company.Four MPs from sugar cane growing areas have vowed to champion for the interest of sugar cane farmers from their areas while still serving in Parliament-Photo By Dickson Odhiambo.

By Dickson Odhiambo

November 8, 2017.

We will take care of sugar farmers’ interest in the House, MPs says.

MEMBERS of Parliament from sugar cane growing areas in Kisumu and Nandi Counties have vowed to champion for the interest of sugar cane farmers from their areas while still serving in Parliament.

Four Members of Parliament from both Kisumu and Nandi counties represent areas including sugar belt have said that they must ensure that the various interests of sugar cane farmers are taken care of.

The four Legislators Kibiwot Melly of Tinderet, Vincent Tuwei of Mosop both from Nandi County, Jared Okello of Nyando and his Muhoroni counterpart James Onyango K’Oyoo both from Kisumu County have said they will sponsor some bills which address  issues affecting sugar cane farmers across the country.

Speaking recently during a meeting with Sugar Cane farmers at Chemelil Sugar Factory, the lawmakers said the issue of paying sugar cane farmers should be a priority of any sugar milling factory.

They say this is so because it is the sugar cane farmers who constantly supply the factories with the raw material hence must be paid first after their sugar cane have been processed so as to enable them do further sugar cane development.

Muhoroni MP Onyango K’Oyoo says the other issue which must be dealt with is the issue of cane poaching which must be addressed because it is the issue which brings the shortage of sugar cane in various sugar factories.

K’Oyoo says there has been a disorder in the sugar industry whereby the licensing of privately owned sugar factories within the country but they do not have their nuclear for sugarcane growing hence this brings the issue of sugar cane poaching.

K’Oyoo says before a sugar factory is licensed to operate as a private company, there is need to ascertain that it can develop its own sugar cane than engaging in sugar cane poaching.

“The issue of sugar cane poaching is a great menace which must be dealt with forthwith,” K’Oyoo says.

Tinderet MP Kibiwot Melly says the issue of Sugar cane zoning should be brought back even if it means taking a bill to Parliament towards that effect so as to help in addressing the issue of sugar cane poaching.

“The issue of sugar cane poaching should be abolished because it is not a good practice at all,” Melly says.

Mosop MP Vincent Tuwei calls for good management practices in various state owned sugar factories as this will help in moving the sugar industry to greater heights.

He says the issue of privatization of the state-owned sugar millers should not be encouraged unless the interest of the sugar cane farmers are well taken care of before the exercise is carried out.

Nyando MP Jared Okello says the interest of the sugar cane farmers must be put first before the issue of privatization of Government-owned sugar factories is thought about.

“We will not allow the issue of privatizing sugar factories in our areas before there are clear terms on how the interests of the sugar cane farmers are taken care of.This is because the sugar cane farmers are a major stakeholder in the sugar industry and should not be ignored when the issue of privatization is discussed,”

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