KALRO Sugarcane Production

Sugarcane is of the tribe of Andropogonae and Gramineae family, and is defined as a semi perennial grass which grows within the tropics. It is known as a renewable agricultural resource, providing sugar, besides fiber, fertilizer and biofuel under ecological sustainability and as a product, it is an indispensable raw material in manufacture of various food, soft drinks and pharmaceutical products. Presently, sugarcane is grown in 14 counties in Kenya (Kisumu, Kericho, Migori, Homabay, Kisii, Kakamega, Bungoma, Busia, Uasin Gishu, Trans Nzoia) under mainly rain-fed conditions. Sugarcane is grown mainly on the gentle slopes and plain areas within an altitude of 1000m to 1600m above mean sea level. It is planted between April and September, a season when there is sufficient soil water moisture from the bimodal rainfall. The sugarcane maturation period in this area lengthens to between 16-24 months and 14-18 months for plant and ratoon crop respectively depending on variety.