NAIROBI, Kenya, July 1, 2025 –The Kenyan government has suspended sugarcane milling in the Western region following a serious shortage of mature cane, a move expected to impact thousands of farmers and several processing factories.
In a letter addressed to Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe, Acting Kenya Sugar Board (KSB) CEO Jude Chesire listed the affected facilities as:
- Nzoia Sugar Company
- Busia Sugar Industry
- West Kenya – Naitiri Unit
- Butali Sugar Mills
- Mumias Sugar
- West Kenya – Olepito Unit
Read more on sugar sector policy challenges
“This is due to inadequate cane development to match milling capacity. This has led to harvesting and subsequent milling of immature cane,” Chesire wrote.
“Consequently, sugarcane farmers are incurring losses due to lower cane yields associated with immature cane harvesting,” she added.
The suspension will begin on July 14, 2025, and last for three months.
Sugarcane Shortage Hits Farmers Hard
According to Chesire, a Cane Availability Survey will be undertaken within two months to determine appropriate milling capacity per factory before resumption of operations.
“All millers should aggressively develop cane to ensure adequate supply of raw material in future,” the letter stated.
This marks another low point for Kenya’s ailing sugar sector, which has in recent years faced mill closures, mismanagement, and farmer debts.
Explore Kenya’s agriculture crisis in depth
The three-month sugar milling halt is likely to affect cane-dependent economies in Bungoma, Kakamega, Busia, and parts of Nandi and Uasin Gishu, threatening both jobs and supply chains.
Background: Kenya’s Struggling Sugar Industry
The sugarcane sector in Kenya has long faced hurdles including underfunding, lack of replanting, and outdated infrastructure. The once-thriving Mumias Sugar Company, now under lease management, has only just resumed limited operations.
More: Why Mumias Sugar still can’t find stability
Agriculture experts say cane development is at its lowest in a decade, citing delayed payments, input shortages, and lack of clear miller-farmer contracts.
What’s Next?
The Kenya Sugar Board has urged all millers to intensify cane development programs, invest in outgrower schemes, and engage county governments for collaborative planning.
See the full suspension notice by KSB here (PDF)
With demand for sugar on the rise and import pressures growing, the three-month hiatus may worsen retail sugar prices and impact Kenya’s food inflation index.
Related: Sugar prices hit 10-year high – What’s driving the surge
