Sugarcane farmers and workers in the Nyanza and Western Kenya sugar belts are facing a tough situation as the sugar firms have suspended production, reports Nation.africa.
The Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) has decided to suspend sugar production for four months to ensure that the sugarcane crops mature during the period.
The millers have been asked to resume operations after November 30 as per the decision taken in a consultation meeting organised in Kisumu on July 13.
The Butali Sugar Mills will stop operations for an indefinite period and West Kenya and Olepito Mills run by the Rai family have suspended crushing operations. We will carry out maintenance work during this period, said Butali’s managing director Sanjay Patel.
He issued a statement thanking farmers for their support and stated that the operations would resume in future. The firm has not provided any information regarding the plight of the workers in the factories.
