For a cane grower, the mill statement is the payslip. It shows what the mill weighed, what it deducted and what it paid. If nobody checks it against your own records, short weights and unexplained deductions simply become lost income.
Keep your own record of every load
Do not rely on the mill's records alone. For each load, note the date, field or block, vehicle registration, driver, weighbridge ticket number and the gross, tare and net weight. Photograph every ticket the day it is issued. This is your evidence if a load goes missing or a weight is disputed.
The four way match
Once a month, line up four sources for every load.
| Source | Match it to | What it catches |
|---|---|---|
| Your delivery record | Weighbridge tickets | Loads with no ticket, wrong vehicle or date |
| Weighbridge tickets | Mill statement tonnes | Weight differences and loads left off the statement |
| Mill statement | Agreed price and deduction rates | Wrong rates and deductions you did not agree |
| Mill statement net pay | Bank or Mpesa receipts | Short, late or missing payments |
Check every deduction
Statements commonly deduct harvesting and transport, input advances such as seed cane and fertiliser, loans and levies. Ask for a line by line breakdown. Compare each charge with the rate you agreed and the inputs you actually received. Keep a running balance of advances so you know when a loan is fully repaid.
What changed in 2026
In August 2026 the Kenya Sugar Board told millers to pay farmers within seven days of receiving cane, with interest charged on late payment. The Board is also buying mobile weighbridges so that cane weights can be checked independently. The industry is moving towards paying on cane quality and sugar content as well as weight. Keep any quality test results alongside your tickets, as they will matter more to your price.
Five steps for this month
- Set up a simple delivery register and photograph every ticket.
- Match last month's tickets to the mill statement, load by load.
- Request a breakdown of every deduction you cannot explain.
- Record the date each payment arrived and flag any over seven days.
- Put any weight or payment dispute to the mill in writing, with ticket copies attached.
Grow, harvest or transport cane?
We reconcile deliveries, weighbridge tickets, mill statements and payments and keep the books for farmers, outgrower groups and agribusinesses across Kenya.
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