NAIROBI,Kenya,May 23— Sugarcane farmers across the country have received a major boost after the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development announced an upward revision of cane prices to Sh5,599 per tonne.
In a circular dated May 20, 2025, Principal Secretary in the State Department for Agriculture Paul Ronoh asserted that the new price was officially communicated to key players in the sugar industry, including managing directors of major sugar milling companies.
These include Mumias Sugar, Kibos Sugar, Chemelil, Butali, West Kenya, South Nyanza Sugar, and several others.
The circular directs millers to implement the new pricing structure immediately, in a move that aims to bring uniformity and transparency in cane purchasing across the industry
“Based on the prevailing ex-factory sugar prices over the past three nionths (February
2025 – April 2025), the price of cane has been increased from the current Kshs. 5,300.00 per tonne to Kshs. 5,500.00 per tonne, effective 26th May 2025,”read the circular in part.
“You are hereby requested to adhere to the new minimum cane price while making
payments to the farmers on time.”
According to Ronoh,the price revision is part of government’s efforts to cushion farmers from rising input costs and encourage higher productivity in the sugar sector.
The move follows months of lobbying by cane farmers and agricultural stakeholders who have decried low returns despite rising production costs and inflationary pressures.
The price change is expected to positively impact livelihoods in key sugar-growing regions such as Kakamega, Bungoma, Kisumu, Nyanza, and parts of Coastal Kenya, where sugarcane farming remains a major economic activity.
