Sugarcane farmers have urged senators to expedite passage of the sugar bill to establish a sustainable legal framework in the industry.
The Kenya National Federation of Sugarcane Farmers deputy secretary general Simon Wesechere said reforms outlined by President William Ruto can only be actualised under a clear legal framework.
The Sugar Bill 2022 is currently at the Senate.
"Reforms in the sugar sector are long overdue. However, they must be entrenched in the law. Otherwise they will remain mere pronunciations,” he said.
Two weeks ago, Ruto, during the inaugural Kakamega International Investments Conference, said his administration was determined to reform the sugar and ensure farmers benefit from their hard work.
He said the reforms will include streamlined payments, supporting cane development and ensuring that cane farmers earn bonuses like their counterparts in tea and coffee sectors.
Wesechere said farmers are tired of rhetorics on matters sugarcane.
He called for a sustainable supply of seed cane, fertiliser and a robust agronomy in institutions for successful cane development programmes.
The research component must be properly funded so that research on seed cane varieties based on sucrose content, disease and pest tolerance and resistance and their control is done, he said.
“Payment of farmers' cane must be based on all products like sugar, electricity and ethanol where applicable. The current payment based on sugar alone is unsustainable. Whereas millers rake in billions of shillings in an increasing trend, farmers' proceeds continue to dwindle increasing poverty levels in all sugar growing zones,” Wesechere said.
“As we speak, there are no plausible mechanisms by research institutions with specific mandate to research in sugar subsector that can place any variety at the hour of need by farmers.”
He urged stakeholders to from a united front to deal with unwarranted sugar importation.
