Butali cane farmers happy with mode of payment

Written by Rosemary Wachiye 2011-06-20 15:45:00 Read 198 Times
Butali sugar farmers queue at the Webuye KCB branch for payment. Sugar cane farmers contracted to the new Butali Sugar factory have applauded factory’s management for prompt payment for their produce after delivery to the factory. The farmers, who are among the first ones to take their cane to the factory, said the factory had broken away from the old tradition held by other factories in the region of delaying payment for their produce. Consequently, they applauded the company for remitting their money through banks saying it was more secure and that it had opened their eyes on how to save part of their money. Farmers who turned up for payment through the KCB bank in Webuye town praised the move to bring the factory next to the people of Malava Constituency and to a larger extent, Webuye, Constituency and parts of Bungoma County. “Due to the closeness of the factory to us, we are happy because we are now not charged a lot for the transportation of the cane to the factory and therefore enables us to get enough of our dues with less reductions,” said Grace Sambula, a cane farmer “We are now able to pay our children’s fees easily and still remain with some cash for our day to day use,” said Mr. Phillip Lumbasi, a cane farmer. Despite the appraises one of the farmers, Mr.Lumbasi, revealed to west FM that the first farmers to be attended to at the weighbridge in the factory, their cane was weighed well compared to the following lot whose cane was weighed after the weighbridges had been tempered with. “The first farmers will get more pay than us whose cane was weighed last, because the weighbridge at first was okay but right now it’s faulty,” said Mr.Lumbasi The move by Butali Sugar factory to cater fro the needs of the farmers and give them first priority, is a call to other sugar factories to follow suit in promoting cane farming in the area.