Kisumu — Sugarcane farmers in Chemelil have agreed to continue delivering cane to Chemelil Sugar Company in the wake of a leadership tussle in the factory.
The farmers who met the new management after the removal of former managing director Gabriel Nyangweso agreed to resume delivery.
In the past couple of weeks, farmers had stopped delivering cane citing the tussle at the leadership.
Noah Cheruiyot, the Chairman Chemelil branch of Kenya Sugarcane Farmers Federation says they have resolved to stand with the company.
“We have agreed to supply cane here and not to the other competing sugar mills, this will continue until we get a court direction next week on the fate of Nyangweso,” he said.
A team of farmers had moved to the Court of Appeal to stay orders by the Labour Court that found Nyangweso to be holding the position illegally.
Cheruiyot says after the court verdict they will again meet to give direction depending on the court’s outcome.
The farmers agreed on a number of issues touching on their welfare that they implored the management to look into for the benefit of the factory.
A farmer, Tom Okal, who read the resolutions, said they have requested the factory harvesting department to go out in the fields and look for cane.
Currently, there is a cane shortage being experienced and mills in the region, both public and private, are competing for the little cane within the sugar belt region.
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Okal says the harvesting department must stop sitting in the offices and instead go out to the farms and talk to the farmers to supply them with cane since enhanced cane supply is the only sure way to keep the factory crushing.
“I have received numerous calls from other mills to take my cane, I will stick to Chemelil and this is a wakeup call to the management to source for cane or else they will have none,” he said.
Joseph Kiilu, the acting head of factory who represented the acting managing director Jacqueline Kotonya says they will strive to address the issues raised by the farmers and other stakeholders.
Kiilu noted that the company will not deviate from the earlier arrangements the farmers’ entered into with the management under the patronage of the former MD.
“We will stick to the payment schedule as was the case during the reign of Nyangweso, the former MD. We will not disappoint our stakeholders,” he said.
He says the payments of farmers will be every week for every supply of cane delivered.
Under the new management, the cumulative amount of Sh93.6 million has been disbursed to farmers, transporters and cane harvesters covering payments that were outstanding for the weeks ending February 5, 12, and 19.
“Out of the total payments of Sh93.6 million payments we have equally made weekly payments of Sh7.5 million as farmers’ cane arrears for the year 2022,” said Kotonya in a statement.
