Agriculture Principal Secretary Kipronoh Ronoh has announced that sugarcane farmers are set to earn more following the Kenya Sugar Board’s decision to raise the price of sugarcane from Ksh5,300 to Ksh5,500 per tonne.
In a letter to all 15 licensed sugarcane millers, including recently leased state-owned factories, PS Ronoh directed them to adhere to the new minimum price.
The revised rate which was approved by the Cane Pricing Committee and will take effect from May 26, 2025.
“Based on the prevailing ex-factory sugar prices over the past three months (February 2025 – April 2025), the price of cane has been increased from the current Ksh5,300.00 per tonne to Ksh5,500.00 per tonne, effective 26th May 2025.
The Agriculture PS also instructed all millers to make timely payments to farmers, reinforcing the government’s commitment to safeguarding farmer welfare and improving livelihoods in sugarcane-growing regions.
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“You are hereby requested to adhere to the new minimum cane price while making payments to the farmers on time,” PS Ronoh directed.
According to PS Ronoh, the sugarcane price adjustment is part of broader ongoing reforms aimed at strengthening the sugar industry and ensuring fair compensation for farmers.
This comes barely three months after the Ministry of Agriculture directed millers to raise the sugarcane price from Ksh5,000 per tonne to Ksh5,300 per tonne.
In January, President William Ruto announced a Ksh150 million bonus payment to farmers supplying sugarcane to Mumias Sugar Factory.
The President said the bonus payment to farmers not only validates the success of the reforms introduced in the sugar sector, but is also evidence of the potential to uplift farmers and support tens of thousands of livelihoods.
“With a record 832,000 tonnes of sugar produced last year, Kenya is on course to attain surplus production and commence regional exports by 2026, turning sugarcane cultivation into a viable and rewarding venture,” said Ruto.
