This archive report was first published on 11 May 2020.
On May 11, 2020, West Kenya Sugar Company solidified its position in the market, cornering a third of the market share in the first quarter of the year.
According to data from the Sugar Directorate, the miller sold 44,597 tonnes of sugar in the review period, a significant increase from the 32,594 tonnes sold in the previous quarter.
The company's market leadership can be attributed to timely payments to farmers and investment in new machines that have created efficiency, according to Jaswant Rai, the miller's chairman.
"When you pay farmers on time and offer them a good price per tonne, then they will supply enough cane for processing," Rai said in a recent interview.
West Kenya Sugar's market share widened the gap with bitter rival Butali Sugar, which emerged second having sold 24,186 tonnes to overtake Transmara (20,648 tonnes).
State-owned Muhoroni Company emerged best among the government millers recording sales of 3,048 tonnes, followed by Nzoia at 2,671 and Sony at 1,340 tonnes, with Chemelil coming last at 1,179 tonnes.
