Nzoia and farmers problems remain

BY   LUKE  KAPCHANGA  DN/BUNGOMA     5/3/2008   NZOIA

Problems affecting sugarcane farmers contracted to Nzoia factory seem to have refused to go away.

From around 1990, the complains about corruption, mismanagement , poor harvesting and delayed payments of farmers  dues, have kept on propping up every other time.

With close to 30,000 farmers in the greater Bungoma district, elective politics had always  revolved around the factory and its management.

The farmers suffering has played part in shaping up the politics of the area, as those elected usually tend to be on the side of farmers.

So, on Tuesday last week, they came in hundreds at Bukembe market, this time round to be told why burnt cane is being abandoned .

Hundreds of millions of shillings is feared could be going to waste , as the factory has refused to harvested burnt cane since the start of dry spells late last year.

They felt that the management was playing tricks with them, because as where as the nucleus estate cane , is set ablaze almost on daily basis, it is harvested immediately .

While as much as they try to plead, when a farmers cane has been accidentally burnt , management just turns a deaf ear.

During the meeting farmers, together with their leaders declared war to the board of directors over the refusal to harvest burnt cane.

Particularly on the spot was chairman of the board of directors Mr. Burudi Nabwera, who called upon to be dismissed.

Kanduyi MP Mr. Alfred Khangati said” Am declaring war on Nabwera to listen to farmers complains or he quits”.

The ODM MP, who described himself as a man of “stamina”, vowed not to give up until 

the issue of burnt cane is solved.

“Am a person of stamina, who should be taken seriously , and Nabwera has no point to be the chairman among the people he has no respect for”, he added.

This was followed by the resolution by Bungoma mayor, Henry Majimbo Okumu, demanding for the entire board of directors to be replaced.

The board, Mr. Okumu said has deliberately refused to harvest their cane, which is over mature and that burnt during the try spells.

But the managing director Mr. Francis Oyatsi stood his ground , saying burnt cane can not be harvested due to congested program.

He defended their policy on out grower burnt cane , insisting that when hundreds of tons of cane is burnt at once, the factory can not cope.

The MD attributed the failure by the factory to absorb standing mature cane to weather.

He pointed out that last year, cane from the swampy areas was not harvested  as the area never experienced try seasons between the months of December and March.

What is more threatening again even this time round is that, their projection is to harvest 300,000 tons of cane in five months.

Yet the worry is that they are expecting long rains in the next two months, so this means most of the cane in swamps will be left to rot.

The solution to harvesting lies in the factory expansion according to the Kenya sugar board chairman Mr. Saulo Busolo and Webuye MP Mr. Alfred Sambu.

They both stressed the need to have the factory expansion given priority when addressing farmers  problems with the factory.

A Mauritian firm has shown interest Mr. Busolo told farmers in the expansion of the factory, to reach the crashing capacity of 10,000 tons per day.

They are responding to the Nzoia management request for experts to advise them on the much anticipated expansion program  to bring the harvesting nightmare to an end.

They have been  identified as specialists in the sugar industry who could give guidance for the company to improve on productivity.

Speaking last year, Mr.Oyatsi noted that “We have the potential to produce upto 85,000 tones of sugar:  and make shs.850million profit”.

The experts will look among other issues on the Arkel machinery which have been lying at the factory yard since 1992, if they can be installed.

The Arkel machinery according to factory sources has had vital components extracted and installed quietly  and indicated as newly imported spares.

Another issue will be what measure is required to  clear over mature cane which is going to waste , after farmers started planting the crop without following laid down regulations..

 

On his part Mr. Sambu blamed management for giving false figures on crashing of cane per day.

Management he said, used to talk about being capable of crashing 3,000 tons per day, which has decreased to 800 tons, when area under cane  had expanded rapidly.

They could not even maintain the 3,000 tons, he complained at least to be consistent with maturing cane in the fields.

He blamed poor forecasting by agriculture team at the company, who seem not bothering to tour farm fields to know the area under cane.

The refusal by the company not to harvest cane, Mr. Busolo said was contravening the sugar Act.

According to the Act, a farmer whose crop is burnt is penalized when harvested and delivered to the factory.

He accused the Nzoia board of directors for working outside the Act, when they should get direction on the steps to take from it.

Farmers he added can not be punished, by having their crop to go to waste when arsonists sets it on fire.

He told farmers, that the company still owes them hundreds of millions of  shillings in arrears which has to be paid in full.

The money Nzioa is supposed to pay include , interests on over mature cane , waived interests on loans to farmers by president Kibaki and presumptive tax.

He called on farmers to work as a team and come up with a scheme which will force the factory management to pay interest on cane after reaching 18 months as one way of committing them to stick to the harvesting program.

He accused the management for defying the government directive of 2001, to stop deducting presumptive tax which should be refunded  and estimated to be above shs.300million.

Afarmer Mr. Goeffrey Njuhilili accused elected leaders for being compromised by management as one reason for their suffering.

He claimed that past leaders used their positions to get tenders as suppliers , colluding with senior company managers, who become corrupt as they seek their protection.

Leaders mostly MPS from the region he cautioned should declare publicly if they are doing business with the company so that farmers   do not waste time taking complains to them.

Most of the speakers wanted to have the freedom to sell their crop to private harvesters so that they do not lose completely. 

 Mr. Oyatsi  who was appointed to the post late last year, pointed out that the future plans of the factory is to have milling capacity of 8000 tones per day.

“our thinking of the company’s future is to have the milling of not less than 8,000 TCD , translating into 2million tones annually”.

The MD , said currently they were milling 3.000 tones which he insisted was insufficient to handle all the standing cane.

To achieve this, he stated , was to motivate workers through recognition of their performance  and building team work..

“As much as I want to have  the most committed framing community around,  employees have to be productive and not waste their time while at  work stations”, he went.

The problem at the mill , he noted which has made the company not to perform is fear and distrust among workers.

“Workers spent most of the time fearing, or regretting about the past, thus they lack confidence when told  about setting and achieving targets “.

What annoys farmers most is that , now they have nobody to sp[aek for them.

During the last general elections politicians never made it a hobby to use sugarcane as a platform for election.ottom of Form

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