| dc.description.abstract | Sugarcane production worldwide has been declining due to many challenges in several
countries as their population grows. Earlier studies in the sugar industry have through years
offered suggestions and solutions to how the ailing industry could be revived and improved
but have not been successful. In Kenya, some sugarcane industries are closing down yet
more sugar is needed. This study examined the challenges facing small scale sugarcane
farming in Malava sub–county, Kakamega County. The study objectives were to: assess
cane transportation problems, establish challenges related to the marketing of sugarcane
and examine the effect of lack of capital equipment by small scale sugarcane farmers in
Malava Sub County. It was undertaken in Malava Sub County where sugarcane is the
economic backbone and the region’s key cash crop owing to the favorable geographical
conditions in Western Kenya. Despite the Malava Sub County’s vast experience in
sugarcane farming, production has gone down. Furthermore, such a study is yet to be done
in Malava. The study purposed to find out the reasons for inefficiency and insufficiency in
sugar production. A descriptive research design was used. Purposive and systematic
random sampling techniques were used to select sugarcane farmers from the seven wards;
Manda/Shivanga, Butali/Chegulo, Chemuche, East Kabras, West Kabras and South Kabras,
Shirugu/Mugai and the sugar factory stakeholders in the two sugar factories; Butali and
Kabras in Malava Sub County. Malava Sub-county has an estimated population of 65,323
sugarcane farmers. From this population, a sample of 384 was used, basing on Mugenda
and Mugenda’s formula of (2003): n=z2pq/d2, for a target population which is greater than
10,000. Primary data was collected by use of questionnaires, interview schedules, Focus
Group Discussions and observation guides. Secondary data was collected through literature
search in online journals, theses and publications related to the study topic. Analysis was
done using descriptive statistics aided by Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS
version 22). Presentation of data was done using tables, graphs and pie charts. A pilot study
in Lwandeti and Chevaywa wards in Matete Sub- County was conducted to test the validity
and reliability of the data collection instruments and Cronbach’s alpha of 0.8 was good
evidence of reliability. Research findings showed that 70% (269) of the respondents
accepted that the transportation charges were high compared to other costs of production,
60% (230) of the cane farmers sampled said that there was ready market for mature
sugarcane, while 40% (154) responded negatively and 100% of the farmers indicated that
they never witnessed the weighing of their cane. Finally, 79.95% (307) of the farmers
accepted that the equipment for operation on cane farming were mainly the locally
available ones for instance, Jembes, Pangas, and ox ploughs; and 83% (319) of farmers
failed to uproot old cane due to lack of money to hire the tractors and high technology
equipment. These results, all combined led to low productivity by small scale farmers in
Malava sub – county. This study recommended that sugar millers should meet the
transportation costs, issue permits on time, and introduce mobile weigh bridges to allow
farmers to witness the weighing of their cane and the Government to provide loans for
small scale farmers to buy tractors for use within the village. Research findings of this
study would be useful to sugarcane farmers, the community, county planning and the
ministry of agriculture. They would also help Kenya to achieve self-sufficiency in
sugarcane production embracing her vision 2030. The findings could also be replicated
elsewhere in the world, where sugarcane is grown. | en_US |
