This archive report was first published on 23 June 2020.
Published on June 23, 2020, Kenyan sugarcane farmers are facing a crisis due to the influx of cheap sugar imports from neighboring countries.
The Kenya National Alliance of Sugarcane Farmers Organisation (KNASFO) has accused some Comesa member countries of abusing the Rules of Origin to import sugar from Brazil and then export it to Kenya.
KNASFO official Michael Arum stated, "Despite the fact that Kenya has ratified a continental free trade area agreement that allows free movement of goods between the African States, illegal import of sugar is now getting into crisis levels."
Arum added that millers are left stranded with bags of sugar in their warehouses as cheap imports from countries like Brazil, Australia, and Indonesia find their way into the country disguised as sugar from Comesa States.
KNASFO chairman Saulo Busolo praised Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya for gazetting the Crops (Sugar) (General) Regulations 2020 but noted that the guideline failed to capture the issue of import.
Busolo emphasized, "Import remains the elephant in the room and must now be napped in the bud to make cane farming a viable undertaking."
The high cost of production and low capacity of local mills have made it difficult for locals to compete with cheap imports from neighboring countries.
