Mumias now scrutinises cane report

The management of financially struggling Mumias Sugar Company is analysing a report on availability of cane in its catchment area as plans by the miller to resume operations in a months’ time take shape.

Receiver manager Ponangipalli Rao said a team from the agricultural department had completed mapping the catchment and was finalising its report.

“We are closely analysing the report to assess the availability of cane in the catchment to determine how our milling operations expected in a month will proceed,” said Mr Rao Thursday.

The miller has been involved in ethanol production for the last two months and gearing up to start sugar production.

Mr Rao said all preparations were progressing according to plan: “We are carefully studying the report to establish the quantity of cane so that we can align our operations on the availability of raw material for sustainability.”

The miller has reduced the price of ethanol to suppliers from Sh93 to Sh90 per litre as a contribution to the government initiative to produce affordable hand sanitisers for distribution to communities.

Acting human resource manager John Shiundu said a team from the Health and Sanitation department from the company was carrying out sanitisation campaigns in Mumias town and at Shibale slums.

“We set up designated points for hand washing in the Mumias town and are supplying sanitisers to the community to ensure people stay away from coronavirus infections,” said Mr Shiundu.