Writes Leo Odera omolo In Awendo Town.
The Awendo-based white sugar manufacturing SONYSUGAR has envisaged tentative plans to turn itself as one of the most vibrant sugar companies in Nyanza region.
The company has envisaged a plan to diversify its production and use of its by production to produce ethanol from its molasses and also to produce power using its bagasse.
When all these come to full scale production, it is hoped the company would be the most stable in the region.
The company’s managing director Paul Odolla said during an exclusive interview with this writer at his Awendo factory office.
Odolla said the company was satisfied with the performance of its close to 2400 employees and workers. It is also pleased with the cooperation and the existing cordial relations with its close to 25,000 cane growers providing it with row materials. It has a similar number of cane farmers covering districts of Rongo Gucha, Trans-Mara, Kuria, Ndhiwa, Migori and Awendo.
The company, said Mr Odolla, is playing significant role in the economic growth of the larger Southern Nyanza Region.
Despite all these, SONYSUGAR, is still facing other hurdles such as the impending privatisation programme, stiff competition in both sales and row cane expected from the up-coming sugar manufacturing factories within its neighborhood. One such firm is the Sukari Industries now under construction at Paw-Otange in Ndhiwa district. Another factory is coming up in the Trans-mara district.
There are tentative programme for another project, a medium sized sugar factory under the proposal to be established at Opapo also in the neighbouring Ndhiwa district.The plant has yet to take of and is stillin the drawing board.
Odolla, however, blamed the local leaders for not sensitizing cane growers and residents of the region about the impending privatisation of the company,which they ought to have done by now.The farmers are entitled to know the effect of such scheme, its benefits and the percentage that should be allocated to the farmers and the investors respectively in order to pave the way for smooth transition from a public to a private company.
Other hurdles is the Comesa deadline, which required the local sugar companies to reduce the cost of production drastically so that they could compete effectively with sugar produced by Comesa countries and the share of the market.
He said owing to the commitment of both the workers and the cane growers within Awendo and its environs, the company has realized stability enabling it to play its pivotal role in the economic growth of the region.
Ends