The New South Nyanza Sugar Company Limited (SONY 2025) is set to resume full milling operations next week following the successful completion of an intensive and comprehensive plant maintenance programme that began late November 2025.
While addressing the media, Operations Manager Idris Bashir said the exercise was undertaken to restore efficiency and eliminate major production losses that had affected operations towards the end of 2025.
The maintenance programme at the Migori-based Sugar mill that is currently leased to the Busia Sugar Company involved extensive fabrication and rehabilitation of key production units in the factory.
“Our two boilers had dropped from their designed capacity of 30 tonnes per hour to about 18 to 19 tonnes due to pressure loss”, said Bashir.
He, however, disclosed that the boilers have now been fully rehabilitated and restored to optimal performance.
Other machine components like bearings, gears and critical mill components were replaced and serviced to ensure efficient crushing while crystallizers, preheaters, pans and centrifugal were repaired to eliminate leakages and reduce wastage to maintain optimum sugar production.
Bashir also noted that with the improvements, the factory expects to double its crushing capacity from the current 1,500 tonnes of cane per day to over 3,000 tonnes per day.
The company has also reaffirmed its commitment to farmers, who are its primary stakeholders and who will continue to receive weekly payments after cane delivery.
The official also disclosed that the company has acquired 20 new 110-horsepower tractors to improve cane transport logistics and an additional 20 motorcycles deployed to strengthen extension services to farmers.
Bashir, however, urged farmers to work closely with extension officers to improve cane husbandry, soil management and fertiliser use for higher yields and more profits.
His sentiments were echoed by Public Relations Officer Ochieng Mado, who confirmed that, alongside plant maintenance, the company’s investor has upgraded the C1 access road from the Awendo–Migori highway junction to bitumen standards, to ease transport logistics and prevent transport vehicle wear and tear.
By Makokha Khaoya
