NATIONAL IRRIGATION AUTHORITY AND SUKARI INDUSTRIES LTD SIGN AGREEMENT FOR DEVELOPMENT OF 50,000 ACRES FOR SUGAR PRODUCTION IN BURA IRRIGATION SCHEME.

Today, the National Irrigation Authority (NIA) marked another significant milestone by signing a commercial and lease agreement of a parcel of land in the Bura Irrigation Scheme in Tana River County Lot No.B2 for sugar production on 50,000 acres with Sukari Industries Ltd.

The NIA CEO, Eng. Charles Muasya, MBS signed the agreement with Tejueer S. Rai and witnessed by Onkar S. Rai both of Sukari Industries Ltd.

The investor will undertake infrastructure development, cane production and value addition on the leased 50,000acres as well as establishment of other necessary support infrastructure.

Kenya consumes approximately 1.2 million metric tonnes of sugar annually, yet domestic production has frequently been unable to meet this demand, averaging between 600,000 and 700,000 metric tonnes per year. The shortfall necessitates imports to bridge the gap, placing considerable pressure on the country’s foreign exchange reserves.

The investor will use modern technology and precision agriculture to maximize the available land for sugar cane production with a view of expanding in future.

Under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Sukari Industries will be building Schools; guided by the philosophy, “the best you can give to anyone is education”, sinking boreholes and putting up health facilities in the community. Further, they will engage the locals for human capital besides knowledge transfer on sugar cane production.

NIA CEO Eng. Charles Muasya promised to ensure provision of irrigation water and all other necessary support to the investor for successful implementation of the project.

He further called on the Investor to progressively crop the entire farm in the next three years as stipulated in the agreement so as to help reduce the sugar production gap in Kenya, contribute to food production, reduction of poverty, creation of employment opportunities and lowering of the cost of living as espoused in the Bottom Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).