Kenya’s Sugar growth powered by BETA value chains for export and development
The Kenya sugar sub-sector plays a vital role in promoting food security, creating employment, fostering regional development, and improving the livelihoods of over 8 million Kenyans. It supports more than 300,000 small-scale farmers, who provide over 90% of the sugarcane processed by mills. With an annual sugar production of around 800,000 metric tonnes (MT) compared to a demand of 1 million MT, the country relies on imports to bridge the gap.
The Beta Agenda on Agriculture prioritizes boosting sugar production to enhance food security, reduce sugar imports, and expand export opportunities.
In response, the government has implemented several interventions. These include seed cane multiplication by the Sugar Research Institute (SRI), the introduction of subsidized fertilizer, early-maturing cane varieties, and penalties for harvesting immature cane. Additionally, sugar mills have been temporarily closed to allow the cane to mature. These efforts have led to an increase in the area under seed cane from 174 hectares to 4,900 hectares, and improved crop yields from 66.3 to 70 tonnes per hectare (T/Ha). This growth in certified seed cane has boosted production, highlighting the need for 100% utilization of the country’s sugar mills.
The State Department of Agriculture is also working to engage the 15 sugarcane-growing county governments involved in the National Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (NAVCDP). Their goal is to prioritize the sugar value chain. In addition, the Agriculture and Food Authority plans to train 450 Ward Agriculture Officers as trainers of trainers (ToTs), who will then educate 4,500 agri-preneurs on sugarcane crop husbandry.
This new extension approach is designed to support farmers in both crop management and marketing. The Ministry of Trade will also conduct workshops in each of the 15 counties, targeting 60 agri-preneurs per county to raise awareness on the use of by-products like bagasse for briquette-making and cardboard production. Meanwhile, the State Department for MSEMs will train 4,500 entrepreneurs on establishing industries such as local juice and white sugar production.
Moreover, efforts will be made to revitalize 450 Ward-Based Sugar Cooperative Societies in the 15 sugarcane-growing counties. These initiatives aim to drive economic growth through job creation, value addition, and income generation, while leveraging export earnings from surplus sugar production and restoring pride among sugarcane farmers.
The post Kenya’s Sugar growth powered by BETA value chains for export and development first appeared on KBC.
The post Kenya’s Sugar growth powered by BETA value chains for export and development appeared first on KBC.
