KIRWA AND FARMERS PAYMENT AT NZOIA

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BY LUKE KAPCHANGA DN/WEBUYE KIRWA 23/4/2005
The minister of agriculture Mr Kipruto arap Kirwa is to recall the farmers list of Nzoia sugar company to srutinise the beneficiaries of shs.300million given by the government last year.
Assistant minister for foreign affairs Mr Moses Wetangula told cane farmers at Mabanga yesterday that they had requested for the ministers intervetion.
Wetangula said elected leaders from Bungoma had approached Mr Kirwa to have the list properly checked to establish the farmers who were paid after compalins that some were left out.
"The minister will definately ascertain the beneficiaries who were not farmers following complains of shortcomings at the company with management,"he said.
He also promised farmers that the issue of missing files which made most of them not to be paid will be investigated as the minister is very much concerned to have the debt cleared.
Mr Kirwa led a high powered government delegation in March last year at Bukembe primary school were he announced that Nzoia sugar company was to recieve shs.300million to clear the accumulated debts .
The money was supposed to clear debts piled up from 1999 -2002 but farmers have been complaing about the poor payment procedure.
The farmers claim that management caused the loss of files and tampered with the records leaving most of them out.
In September last year the company board of directors chairman Mr Burudi Nabwera told the press that they had identified ghost farmers who were to be handed over to police for action.
Mr Nabwera said then that ghost farmers were being paid in collusion with some corrupt managers leaving oput genuine farmers.
The chairman explained that ghost farmers were discovered after a rigorious screening exercise by registering farmers afresh physically assisted by chiefs.
Mr Wetangula on his part promised farmers that MPs from the sugar belt are fighting to have the price of sugar increased to motivate them.

He however called on the goverment toremove VAT and reduce taxes on sugar to make it appealing to farmers and profitable.

He complained that the major problem in sugarcane farming is taxation and the leaders were consulting with the government to remove VAT the way it is with coffee and tea.
He claimed taxation is discouraging farmers because they are being paid peanuts when the crop is harvested and the proceeds goes to the millers and transporters.
He asked farmers not to vote for the Kenya sugar Board director who will oppose the increase of cane tonnage because the current directors were the ones who reduced the prices.
He said MPs want a director who understands sugar cane problems and willing to coperate with them to protect farmers interests.