By SHABAN MAKOKHA
October 16, 2026| Sugarcane farmers contracted by Mumias Sugar Company have been assured of free agricultural extension services aimed at improving productivity, increasing yields and boosting earnings as the miller steps up efforts to make cane farming more profitable.
The company’s Operations and Administration Manager, Eng. Stephen Kihumba, said the agricultural extension team would continue visiting contracted farmers in their fields to offer professional guidance on crop management, from planting to harvesting.
He was categorical that farmers should not pay a single coin for the services, warning company officers against exploiting growers who depend on the miller for technical advice.
Kihumba said the company was committed to ensuring farmers received timely, practical guidance on best farming practices, including the selection of quality seed cane, appropriate fertiliser application and proper field management.
“As a company, our work is to ensure farmers are guided properly to get better yields by advising them on quality seed cane and fertiliser. These services are free,” he said.
He warned that any officer found demanding money from farmers in exchange for extension services would face firm disciplinary action, stressing that the company would not tolerate practices that undermine farmers’ confidence or eat into their returns.
The assurance comes at a time when improved productivity remains central to efforts to strengthen the relationship between sugar millers and cane growers, whose livelihoods depend on healthy crops, reliable technical support and better harvests.
For farmers, access to extension services can mean the difference between investing in a crop that delivers good returns and struggling with poor yields caused by inadequate field management.
Kihumba said Mumias Sugar’s agricultural officers were expected to maintain close contact with farmers, walking through their fields to assess crop conditions and recommend the necessary interventions at the right time.
He urged the team to advise growers on when their cane needed weeding, gap filling, fertiliser application or other essential agronomic interventions, while also helping them establish when the crop was ready for harvesting.
The approach, he said, was intended to ensure farmers did not leave their crops unattended until declining growth or poor field management affected the final yield.
Timely weeding helps reduce competition for nutrients, water and sunlight, while gap filling ensures better crop establishment where cane has failed to sprout. Appropriate fertiliser use and harvesting at the right stage are also key to maximising the value of a farmer’s investment.
By taking these services closer to growers, the company hopes to encourage farmers to adopt better practices and treat sugarcane production as a carefully managed enterprise rather than an ordinary subsistence activity.
Kihumba challenged farmers to change their perception of sugarcane farming and approach it as a business that requires planning, investment and close attention to production costs.
He said growers should take advantage of the technical support available to improve their fields, increase cane yields and strengthen household incomes.
“Take sugarcane farming as a business that gives you profits,” he urged farmers.
The message was particularly directed at growers who may be tempted to overlook essential farm operations, despite the impact of such omissions on crop performance and eventual earnings.
Treating cane farming as a business requires farmers to plan production activities, use quality planting material, apply farm inputs appropriately and follow recommendations from agricultural extension officers. It also calls for regular monitoring of the crop so that problems are identified early and corrective measures taken before they compromise yields.
For contracted farmers, the availability of free extension services offers an opportunity to seek professional advice without incurring additional charges.
Kihumba’s warning against extortion also sends a strong message that farmers should be able to access the company’s agricultural team without fear of being asked to make unofficial payments.
The company has urged its officers to put farmers’ interests at the centre of their work, recognising that a productive farming community is essential to the sustainability of the sugar industry.
Kihumba made the remarks on Wednesday during a visit to Kamarinyan’g Village in Teso South, Busia County, where he led a Mumias Sugar team to condole with the family of the late Stephen Ekirapa, a contracted cane farmer and former Fafi Sub-County Police Commander.
Ekirapa died last week alongside his driver, David Rotich, after their vehicle ran over a suspected landmine along the Saretho-Dadaab road in Garissa County while on duty.
Ekirapa was a loyal contracted farmer of Mumias Sugar, having supplied over 1,000 tonnes of sugarcane to the miller last year alone.
Kihumba said Commander Ekirapa was not just a farmer but family. “Commander Ekirapa was one of us. He showed us that you can serve the nation in uniform and still serve the nation through farming,” he said.
The visit brought together the company’s representatives and the bereaved family at a time of grief following the tragic loss of two lives. By visiting the family, the company sought to express its condolences and stand with a farmer whose relationship with the miller extended beyond cane production.
The loss also cast a sombre mood over the engagement, which combined a message of support for the bereaved family with a renewed appeal to farmers in Busia County to consider sugarcane growing as a source of income.
Ekirapa is expected to be laid to rest on October 24 at his Kamarinyan’g home, according to the company.
Mumias Sugar reiterated its commitment to standing with the family during the difficult period as it joined relatives, friends and the wider community in mourning the deceased.
Beyond the condolence visit, Kihumba used the occasion to encourage residents of Busia County to embrace sugarcane farming as a potential source of sustainable household income. He urged prospective growers to consider the crop’s commercial potential and take advantage of the company’s support to build productive farms.
For farmers seeking to diversify their income sources, sugarcane offers an opportunity to participate in a commercial agricultural value chain, provided production is managed carefully and growers understand the costs and returns involved.
However, profitability depends on more than planting cane. Farmers must pay attention to land preparation, the quality of seed cane, field maintenance, fertiliser use and harvesting schedules. Access to sound agricultural advice can help growers make informed decisions at each stage of production, avoid preventable losses and improve the productivity of their farms.
The company’s emphasis on free extension services is therefore intended to make professional guidance accessible to contracted farmers as they work to improve their yields.
Kihumba’s message to growers was clear: farmers should not be left to struggle alone in their fields, nor should they be forced to pay unofficial fees to obtain services the company has committed to providing free of charge.
As Mumias Sugar continues engaging farmers across its growing areas, the company is encouraging growers to take greater responsibility for the management of their crops while making full use of the support available to them. Its agricultural team, it says, will remain on the ground to guide growers, while its warning against extortion reinforces the expectation that such assistance must be delivered fairly and without charge.