Kisumu — The Sugar Pricing Committee has come under fire for reducing the price of sugarcane based on the retail price of sugar.

Francis Wangara, Secretary General of the Kenya Union of Sugarcane Plantation and Allied Workers (KUSPAW), warned that the new pricing announced yesterday would severely impact farmers.

In a notice issued by acting Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) director Jude Chesire, the price for cane per ton for August is set at Sh. 4,950.

Chesire explained that this pricing follows the expiration of the interim cane pricing committee and the absence of a cabinet secretary to appoint a new one.

Wangara argued that the decrease in sugar prices in the market is due to illegal sugar imports.

"The cost of sugar has gone down because of illegal sugar in circulation," he said, asserting that it is unfair to lower the cost of cane based on these market prices.

Speaking in Kisumu, Wangara suggested that the aim is to reduce the cost of domestically produced sugar by allowing cheap imports, despite the increasing production of cane in the country.

He expressed concern that lowering cane prices would drive farmers out of business.

"The committee has failed to protect farmers' interests and continues to destabilize the local sugar industry," Wangara stated. He emphasized that the solution lies in blocking illegal sugar imports, empowering farmers, and operationalizing cane testing units to ensure farmers are paid based on sucrose content rather than weight.

Wangara also welcomed the new Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture, Andrew Karanja, urging him to prioritize providing affordable fertilizer to sugarcane farmers.

"We want the CS to ensure equity and that no sector is given more attention than the other," he said.