Agriculture CS Willy Bett giving out a cheque to a sugarcane farmer in Chemelil last week. [Photo|hivisasa.com]
Sugarcane farmers within Nyando Sugar belt have hailed the national government for coming to their rescue last week with a cheque of Sh300 million for their arrears.
Over 900 farmers were paid their arrears dating way back to 2014 to cane they delivered to Chemelil Sugar Factory.
John Odum, a local farmer in Muhoroni said the gesture by the national government is promising.
Speaking on Thursday at Chemelil round about during a farmer’s forum, Odum said farmers have been exposed to poverty by the company after taking their cane.
He said that it is sad to deliver cane and wait for over four years to get paid.
“Cane remains our main stay, we pay school fees for our children using proceeds from this cane and run other errands and it remains painful that after delivering cane you start the long wait,” he said.
During the handover of the cheques to farmers last week at Chemelil Sugar Company, Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Willy Bett questioned where the factory takes the money after selling sugar.
“The factory accept your cane, takes it to the crushing machine, manufacture sugar which they sell but don’t pay back the farmer who supplied them with raw material, where do they take the money after selling the final product which is sugar,” he questioned.