Sugarcane farming is one profitable business in Kenya but many farmers take it for granted. I am also a sugarcane farmer and I can tell you the business is so good that sometimes you don’t feel like telling anyone how much you make from it.
As you walk along the streets of Nairobi, Mombasa, Kericho, Kisumu…name them, you will realize that there are many young men selling sugarcane in wheelbarrows. Don’t ever underestimate these people-they make a lot of money. Imagine one sugarcane, sourced from Kisii costs Ksh 20 and when it arrives in Nairobi it’s sold at Ksh 80.
Having a sugarcane plantation can really make you a millionaire in Kenya within a short time. One acre alone makes at least Ksh 2 million in two years.
But you should also know that planting sugarcane to sell to industries like Mumias and Sony is absolutely nonsense-you will make shocking losses. The only sugarcane that is profitable is one that is directly chewed by people, not for sugar.
There was a time Mumias, Sony and other sugarcane industries used to pay well, but not nowadays.
The best places to plant sugarcane include Kericho,Bomet,Kisii,Nyamira,Kiambu,Eldoret,Kitale,Kisumu,Mumias,Bungoma,Kakamega and Imenti