NAIROBI, Kenya Aug 27 – Sugar millers will have seven days to pay farmers after receiving sugarcane or face penalties, including interest on delayed payments, under a tougher enforcement regime by the Kenya Sugar Board (KSB).

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The measures are aimed at protecting farmers from exploitation and ensuring growers receive timely payment for cane delivered to millers.

KSB Chief Executive Officer Jude Chesire said contracts between farmers and millers provide for sanctions against companies that fail to comply with the standard seven-day payment period.

Chesire said the regulator was also stepping up efforts to curb weighbridge malpractice, which has resulted in farmers losing payment for significant quantities of cane.

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“Some farmers lose up to three tonnes of cane per trailer through weighbridge malpractices,” he said.

To address the problem, KSB is procuring mobile weighbridges that will allow the regulator to independently verify cane weights and strengthen oversight across the industry.

The Government has also invested in cane-testing units as Kenya moves towards a payment system that takes into account cane quality and sugar content rather than relying solely on weight.

Millers have further been directed to establish clear cane-harvesting frameworks by September 10. The frameworks are expected to improve the coordination of harvesting, transportation and delivery while reducing delays that leave mature cane deteriorating in farms.

The measures come as Kenya’s sugar industry records a significant recovery in production.

Domestic sugar production reached 815,454 metric tonnes (MT) in 2024, while 611,576 MT was produced in 2025. Between January and July 2026, production stood at 528,875 MT.

📰 Source: Capital FM Kenya