By S, KNA
Some local investors are planning to construct a Sh1.5 billion sugar factory in Soba location in Tinderet Sub County, Nandi county, where sugarcane remains a dominant cash crop for the area residents.
This move will be a major boost to sugarcane farming in Tindiret area, which mainly thrives in the lower-altitude areas such as Songhor, Soba, Kimwani, Senetwo and Tach Asis, where it is viable due to favourable agro-ecological conditions.
The factory is projected to have an initial milling capacity of 1,250 tonnes of cane per day and will also generate four megawatts of power.
A farmer in Songhor area, John Kibiwott is excited over the upcoming factory, stating that apart from providing a ready market for the cane, the plant would create job opportunities for the locals.
This development promises to stimulate the local economy by encouraging more residents to venture into cane farming, as well as enhancing sugar production that would ultimately lead to the moderation of the sugar prices in the local market.
Governor Stephen Sang has expressed support for value chain expansion through agribusiness and sugarcane farming, amid the expected returns of Sh.4,200 per tonne, hence outperforming the traditional staples such as maize.
The onset of the new factory means that up to 10,000 additional acres of land are supposed to be put under the crop in order to meet the raw materials requirement for the miller to operate optimally.
Consequently, a substantial number of farmers are shifting from growing maize to sugarcane, attracted by the profitability and the ready market.
Daniel Metto from Kipkaren area has turned his five acres previously dedicated to maize into a cane field, citing that sugarcane cultivation is less expensive and offers a more reliable market through support from nearby factories.
Mary Sang from Salien village echoes similar sentiments, noting that sugarcane takes about 18 months to mature, but it is much less labour intensive than maize and offers better returns.
With the input cost of sugarcane ranging between Sh25,000 and Sh30,000 per acre and yields of 60-70 tonnes per hectare, fetching averagely Sh4,500 per tonne, farmers like Mary Sang anticipates earnings of about Sh290,000 in a single season.
“I have already tasted the sweetness of sugarcane farming and only grow some maize for subsistence purpose, while the rest of the farm is under cane,” said Paul Kerich, a former maize farmer.
Meanwhile, cane farming is becoming a powerful force for economic transformation in Tindiret Sub County and farmers are gradually moving away from maize to embrace it because of the remarkable income gains.
They are now looking forward to a local processing facility that will further cement their prosperity.