Embu farmers turn to sugarcane farming over low income from coffee and macadamia

However, some have started to venture into farming other crops, including sugarcane. 

Richard Njiru Nyaga, who has ventured into sugarcane farming, said he has incorporated value addition by making sugarcane juice to increase his income.

Njiru, who has planted five species of sugarcane on his quarter-acre land, says, "I prefer sugarcane since I can sell it locally giving me instant cash, unlike macadamia and coffee which rely on international markets."
Speaking at his home in Gatunduri, he said that due to losses he has been incurring, he decided to abandon farming macadamia since the prices have gone down to Ksh. 20 per kilo.
Njiru said that he has procured a modern Sugarcane juice-making machine to boost value addition.