The Western Kenya sugar industry; with specific reference to Nyanza and Western provinces

Abstract

This study examines "The Hestern Kenya sugar industry with specific reference to Nyanza and Western Provinces". It gives a detailed economic development analysis of the Western Kenya.Sugar Industry and its general impact on both regional ! and national economic development. This has been viewed in II . terms of sugar production, generation of employment opportunities and the development and/or the establishment of development facilities in the sugar zone. The sugar companies and the selected samples of out grower fanners from Nyanza and Western Provinces were interviewed using _. a recording schedule and through personal interviews. Direct field observations, secondary data and information were also used in data collection. The collected data were compiled, as a first step into Comprehensive tables, then analysed for interpretive purposes using the location quotierrt., regional multiplier analysis and correlation coefficient. The principal findings resulting from the testing of a set of hypotheses based on this study are: a) . the location of The Western Kenya sugar industry is apparently influenced by physical rather than economic factors; owing to a certain anomalies in the economic operations of the various established sugar factories. - b). there is a very high concentration of the sugar industry in Western Kenya as shown by a high location quotient of 8.39. c) . the sugar industry is an important growth inducing industry. d) . the sugar industry had generated rnany_employment opportunities in the area. e). several development facilities have been developed as Ci result of the industry in the sugar zone. f) . the aim of the government is to be self-sufficient in sugar production. g) . a major-negative effect experienced in the area is non culturaL development of sugarcane, inevitably resulting in food shortage, in many parts of the sugar zone. -production capacity. The basic recommendations for future planning of the sugar industry are: a).sugar companies should meet their own production costs instead of being heavily subsidized both by the out grower farmers and the government, especially in transportation costs. _ b) . the sugar companies should be discouraged from rejecting any cane delivered at the factory. c). the farmers should be offered agricultural education to reduce their problems of food shortage and over production of sugarcane. d) .The government should assist the farmers in developing essential development facilities in the sugarcane out grower areas. e) . sugar refineries should be established in the areas f) . problems encountered in the sugar factories should be rectified so that they could operate at their full capacity. For purposes of further lines of research, it has been suggested that intensive survey should be conducted on the Kenya sugar industry. This should include the small sugar factories,

jaggery plants and other factories utilizing sugar by-products. Such a study would reveal more of the regional and national benefits of the industry.