Weekly cane payments revive hope for Nzoia farmers
Sugarcane farmers in Bungoma, Kenya, report improved financial stability following the revival of the Nzoia Sugar Company under a new leasing arrangement. Regular payments have restored confidence in the industry and provided economic relief to local households.
Why it matters
The revival of local agricultural infrastructure is critical for rural economic development and food security in the region.
Sugarcane farmers in Bungoma are regaining confidence in the future of the crop following the revival of Nzoia Sugar Company under a lease to West Kenya Sugar Company, a subsidiary of the Rai Group.
The farmers say the resumption of milling operations and regular weekly payments for cane deliveries have restored stability to an industry that had been weighed down by years of delayed payments and financial difficulties.
Speaking during a public sensitisation meeting organised by the company, farmers said the leasing arrangement had brought fresh optimism to households that depend on sugarcane as their main source of income.
Ferdinand Makhanu, a farmer who has grown sugarcane for more than 20 years, praised the government for intervening in the troubled miller, saying growers had been close to abandoning the crop.
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