Sugar Cane Farmers say NO to zoning of their product.

 Sugar Cane farmers from four counties of Kisumu, Kakamega, Bungoma and Busia address the press in Kisumu where they have condemned the issue of zoning-Photo By Dickson Odhiambo

By Dickson Odhiambo.

August 28, 2018.

Sugar Cane Farmers say NO to zoning of their product.

SUGAR CANE Farmers from the Larger Western Kenya region have said they are not ready to support the issue of zoning sugar cane nuclear.

They say the issue of zoning which has been fronted for its re-introduction by the National Government under the proposed Sugar Regulations 2018 is not a good practice at all.

Addressing the media in Kisumu today to explain their predicament with the issue, the Sugar cane farmers drawn from Kisumu, Bungoma, Busia and Kakamega led by Albert Wetundu urges the Government not to re-introduce it in the new sugar regulations of 2018.

They claim that the issue will deny sugarcane farmers the opportunity for free market where they can sell their product to the sugar factories of their choice.

Wetundu says the practice has been there since time immemorial but has never succeeded in any way hence will not succeed this time round too.

“There is no way the government is telling us that the issue of zoning is being re-introduced and this is not a good idea at all because it is going to deny us the opportunity for free market to sell our product to the miller we want,” they sa.

They want the Government to leave sugar cane farmers alone to grow the crop and sell it to the sugar factory they wish to give.

Chrispus wameyo from Bungoma County says as a sugar can farmer, never at any point will he agree with the issue of zoning.

He says there are a number of sugar cane farmers who have suffered because they have not been paid for their sugar cane they delivered to some factories yet the Government talks about zoning.

“We need to be left alone to decide and take our sugar cane to whichever the factory we want and we don’t want to be dictated on this by re-introducing zoning in our areas,” he says.

Lambat Lwanga Ogochi from Busia County says the issue of zoning won’t work while claiming that this is a way of planning corruption in the sugar industry in advance.

He says the proposal that zoning should be done at 40 kilometers from a particular sugar miller will never work.

“Like in Busia County, two sugar factories which is Busia Sugar Industry and West Kenya which are only three Kilometers apart and when one talks about zoning in terms of about 40 kilometers then it means the two sugar factories will fall under Mumias sugar Factory nulear,” he says.

Atiang Atiang from Kisumu County says they will move to court to file a case against the Government on wanting to zone sugar cane nuclear in the country.

He claims that some millers are also out to support of sugar cane zoning which is not right at all.

He also says the Government should come out clearly to tell which document is the right one on the Sugar Regulations of 2018, adding that the two documents on the same are confusing to the sugar cane farmers.

ENDS: