As sugarcane farmers in western Kenya dump the ‘poor man’s crop’, counterparts in Rift Valley are embracing the ‘lazy man’s crop’
The construction of a new factory means that up to 10,000 additional acres of land will be put under the crop to meet the raw materials requirement for the miller to operate optimally. Consequently, a substantial number of farmers are shifting from growing maize to sugarcane, attracted by the profitability and ready market.
‘Political economy of sugar in Kenya’ warms up to season as minister unveils plans to import 400,000 tonnes
Cabinet Secretary Lee Kinyanjui revealed that last year, the company sought approval from the East African Community Secretariat to import 165,000 metric tonnes of raw sugar for refining but only managed to secure 5,000 metric tonnes, leaving its refinery idle.
Sugarcane farming no longer sweet
FEATURE Hundreds of farmers in Migori County who have been growing sugarcane since 1979 as a cash crop are having second thoughts. From being ‘green gold’ to a lazy man’s crop, sugarcane has now acquired the tag of a poor man’s crop, thanks to abysmal returns from a cash crop...
