The Kenya Sugar Board has defended its decision to shut down sugar mills in the Western Region for the next three months, emphasizing that the decision will result in significant financial gains for thousands of farmers in the region.
In a statement on Saturday, July 12, Kenya Sugar Board CEO Jude Chesire claimed that once the factories reopen in October, sugarcane farmers will be expected to sell their cane at Ksh72,000 per acre.
Currently, sugarcane millers in the western region purchase sugarcane from farmers for Ksh5,500 per tonne, meaning that in the next three months, farmers will get to enjoy an average of Ksh6,000 per tonne.
According to Chesire, the strategy to close the mills, which he claims is not new, will allow the sugar cane to mature and gain weight fully.
