By Reporter
Acute cane shortage in the Lower and Upper Western catchment has forced the Kenya Sugar Board (KSB) to direct a temporary three-month closure of all factories in the region.
In a circular addressed to the Managing Directors of Nzoia, Butali, West Kenya, Mumbai, Busiav, West Kenya and West Kenya Naitiri Unit Sugar Companies,
KSB Acting Chief Executive Officer Jude Chesire said the move was aimed at allowing the cane to mature and ease the pressure on the scarce commodity.
He said the closure will be for a period of three months.
“The Upper and Lower Western Sugarcane Catchment areas are currently facing an acute shortage of mature sugarcane to support milling operations.
This is due to inadequate cane development to match the milling capacity of the factories, which has resulted in the harvesting of immature cane.
This has consequently led to sugarcane farmers incurring losses due to lower cane yields associated with immature cane harvesting,” he said.
Chesire said in his letter that it was established that both the Lower and the Upper Western Sugarcane Catchment areas had a severe shortage of mature cane, and it was therefore resolved that milling operations in the Western Region be temporarily stopped to allow cane to mature.
Chesire said during the intervening period, the Board shall, within two months, undertake a cane availability survey to inform the milling capacity of each factory upon the resumption of operations.
“All millers should aggressively develop cane to ensure adequate supply of raw material in future,” Chesire said in his letter.
