Lawyer Edgar Busiega hails decision on cane prices, demands for more
Malava politician and Advocate of the High Court Edgar Busiega has welcomed the decision by the Ministry of Agriculture to increase the price per tonne of sugarcane up from Kshs 5,000 to Kshs 5,300 but maintains it is way below the farmers expectation if the input is any thing to go by.
The interim committee appointed by the Ministry of Agriculture meeting on the 7th of February 2025 agreed on adjustments of the price per tonne effective from 10th February 2025.
They directed millers to adhere to the new minimum cane price while making timely payments to farmers.
Busiega, on his part, suggested that it would have been prudent for the ministry to put the price at a minimal Kshs.6,000 even as farmers still needed better pay.
Malava plays a host to two sugar factories of West Kenya and Butali, and sugarcane farming is the major activity undertaken in the area.
The two factories pay more than Kshs.30 million to farmers weekly.
Busiega now believes that it is possible to empower and motivate farmers through good pay as investors are making a lot of profits from the farmers’ sweat, and they need to be more considerate of their wellbeing.
About employment opportunities,Busiega asked millers to give priorities to locals seeking jobs and only seek technocrats who may miss in the data bank of locals.
He also called on the management of factories to address the issue of permitting that has seen most farmers being forced to part with bribes to secure a harvesting permit.
