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Private farmers have accused Nzoia Sugar Company of frustrating their efforts to sell their cane to a private miller.
The growers have criticised a directive by the giant sugar firm to have sugarcane farmers from the Nzoia sugar belt obtain a permit from the company and the provincial administration before selling their cane to private millers.
Nzoia Sugar Company managing director Saul Wasilwa says the move is meant to protect the factory from cane theft
which he alleges has led to a loss of Sh40 million in the past one year.
The directive has sparked protests from farmers in the Nzoia sugar belt contracted by West Kenya Sugar Company.
Over 500 farmers from Ndivisi division, Bungoma East District, after a meeting at Lugulu market, complained of harassment by Nzoia Sugar Company officials attached to the anti-poaching unit.
Farmers incur huge losses
The cane farmers, led by Mr Joseph Murunga and Mr Erick Namusasi, said Nzoia Sugar Company officials were impounding their sugarcane
"Even after establishing that the impounded cane belongs to private farmers, they still hold the same making farmers incur huge losses,” said Mr Murunga.
The farmers said they will fight back if tractors from West Kenya Sugar Company, which come to plough their farms are seized.
“We do not owe Nzoia Sugar Company anything. That is why we can’t go to them for licence to sell our sugarcane,” said Mr Murunga.
The farmers asked the government to ensure fair competition among sugar millers to boost farmers’ income. “Fair competition in a liberalised market will make the farmer fetch higher prices for his produce,” they said.
The farmers threatened to stage a demonstration if the government takes no action. Managers from West Kenya Sugar Company, who sought anonymity, accused Nzoia Sugar Company of engaging in unfair practices to lock out other players from the market.
“The market is liberalised. We expect Nzoia Sugar Company to respect the farmers’ choice of where to sell their produce,” said one manager.
Addressing the Saturday Nation in his office on Friday, Mr Wasilwa refuted the farmers’ claims that the company’s officials were impounding their cane.
He said the company does not intend to interfere with private farmers or millers but is keen on stopping theft of its cane.
Mr Wasilwa announced the factory had deployed a contingent of administration police officers to fight the menace that had threatened to cripple operations.
“The number of lorries transporting stolen cane has significantly reduced following the deployment,” Wasilwa said.