Nzoia sugar Company Chairman Joash Wamang’oli has applauded the move by the Ministry of Agriculture to set up new rules and regulations in Sugar industry saying that it will bring sanity in the industry.
Nzoia sugar Company has a total of 7,000 acres of land with a total of 64,000 workers who are employed by the Company.
Addressing the press on May 30,2020 Wamang’oli said that for the past 20 years the sugar sector has been suffering but this is the time farmers will benefit fully from this sector, adding that the sector has been running without laws, condemning those spreading gossips to the public that Nzoia Sugar is dead.
He applauded the Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture Peter Munya for gazetting new rules and regulations in the sugar industry that this will help in the smooth running of Sugar Millers and timely payment of farmers.
‘’I take this single moment to single out our Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya for identifying problems facing the sugar Millers, I hope that this will make Nzoia shine more,’’ he said.
He called on President Uhuru Kenyatta’s intervention to pump in some funds to sugar industries saying that Sugar is the only commodity that earns much money urging the Government of Kenya to stop importing sugar which lowers the Market for our own sugar.
‘’The government of Kenya should stop importing sugar from other Counties, it makes ours not to fetch more on the market,’’ he pleaded.
His sentiments were echoed by Nzoia Managing Director Wanjala Makokha who assured farmers that the Company is now back to its road mark in ensuring that farmers enjoy total profits from their raw materials they have supplied to the sugar Miller for processing.
The Managing Director however, added that the County Governments have been given the mandate in the sugar industry to form a task force which will be deciding on the pricing of sugar, calling on farmers to approach the management whenever they have issues to solve.
He added that the Company is on up and runs to find funds and pay farmers who have not been paid.