Kenya plans to begin sugar exports within the next three years

Kenya plans to enter the international sugar market within the next three years through the implementation of a major agricultural project in the Bura irrigation area in Tana River County. The public-private partnership program aims to expand sugarcane cultivation, increase domestic sugar production and gradually reduce the country’s dependence on imports. In the longer term, the initiative is expected to create opportunities for Kenyan sugar exports to international markets.

As part of the project, the Kenyan government has already leased approximately 55 thsd hectares of agricultural land to private investors out of the irrigation scheme’s total area of 71 thsd hectares. The allocated land will be used to cultivate sugarcane and rice. Major participants in the program include Sukari Industries and Tana River Sugar, each of which has received approximately 20 thsd hectares for sugarcane production.

A key element of the project is the newly commissioned 26-kilometer Bura gravity-fed irrigation canal. The canal supplies water from the Tana River to farmland using the natural slope of the terrain. This system eliminates the need for diesel-powered pumps, reduces irrigation costs and provides a more reliable water supply for crop production.

The expansion of irrigated farmland and the attraction of private investment are expected to support increased sugarcane production in Kenya. The government expects the project to help meet domestic sugar demand while building export potential over the next three years. However, specific targets for future sugar production and export volumes have not yet been announced.

Tags: sugar, Kenya