Cane shortage has seen millers operate below their installed capacities. [nation.co.ke]Sugarcane deliveries to millers has dropped to more than a seven-year low, reflecting poor performance of local factories and a drop in farmers’ earnings.According to the latest data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), three million tonnes were delivered in the nine months to September, down from 5.5 million in the same period in 2016."The scarcity of cane led to low sugar production that lifted the cost of a kilogramme of sugar to Sh200 in May from Sh120 in January before government intervention through duty-free imports helped lower the price to the current Sh130," a statement by the Sugar directorate says.This marked the lowest quantities of sugarcane fed to factories since KNBS started making public monthly data on the raw material supply for sugar production.The shortage has seen millers operate below their installed capacities, creating an acute shortage of sugar in Kenya. Farmers’ earning have also been affected because of the shortage, which the sugar directorate has attributed to drought that hit the country in the first quarter of the year, the Nation reports.Inadequate cane supply has also been blamed on delays by millers in paying farmers, prompting some growers to abandon the cash crop.The dry weather after low rainfall in October and November last year as well as the long season of April to June, drove up prices of basic food commodities including sugar, milk and vegetables.

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