Kenya: Govt Halts Sugarcane Milling in Western Region Amid Shortage

9 July 2025
Capital FM (Nairobi)
By Correspondent

Nairobi — The government has suspended sugarcane milling in the upper and lower Western regions amid an acute shortage of mature sugarcane.

Acting Kenya Sugar Board (KSB) CEO Jude Chesire, in a letter, said that the affected facilities are Nzoia Sugar, Busia Sugar Industry, West Kenya Naitiri Unit, Butali Sugar Mills, Mumias Sugar, and West Kenya Olepito Unit.

"This is due to inadequate cane development to match milling capacity. This has led to harvesting and subsequent milling of immature cane," Chesire said in a letter addressed to Agriculture CS Mutahi Kagwe.

"Consequently, sugarcane farmers are incurring losses due to lower cane yields associated with immature cane harvesting," she added.

The temporary closure, which will last for three months, will start on July 14, 2025.

"In 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."

Read the original article on Capital FM.

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