Sugarcane farmers have called on Agriculture CS Peter Munya to stop 'dumping' of cheap sugar that hurts sugarcane farmers by lowering prices.
Kenya faces a deficit of 210,163 tonnes this year, Munya told the National Assembly Agriculture committee on Tuesday. He defended the government against allegations of dumping.
The Kenya National Federation of Sugarcane Farmers said they were suffering from unresolved issues in the sector.
Led by CEO low Waswa, they urged Munya to intervene just as he had stepped in to streamline the tea and coffee sectors. He should also help sugarcane farmers, he said.
"We have issues of prices and the Sugar Bill is stuck in Parliament," Waswa told a press conference on Thursday.
Last week the Kenya Sugarcane Growers Association appealed to the National Assembly Committee on Agriculture to set up a national enquiry into imports of sugar.
Munya has defended the government against allegations of indiscriminately dumping cheap sugar in the country.
Cane growers say these imports are crippling the sector by lowering retail prices.
The CS issued a statement on the status of sugar imports in the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) to the National Assembly Agriculture committee on Tuesday. He cited a deficit of 210,163 tonnes this year.
Sugarcane farmers under the Sugar Campaign for Change have called on the government to protect farmers from exploitation by unscrupulous government officials pushing for unrestricted sugar imports. They were represented by coordinator Michael Arum
The Kenya Sugarcane Millers Association through vice chairman Francis Ooko recently warned that farmers are being hurt by dumping of sugar. he is the receiver manager for Muhoroni and Miwani Sugar.
(Edited by V. Graham)