AfricaPress-Tanzania: THE government has stressed its support to Kilombero Sugar Company’s expansion project that will double its capacity in crashing sugarcane and increase crop yield.
Speaking in Kilombero District at the weekend to mark Sugarcane Farmers Day organised by various sugar stakeholders, including Kilombero Sugar Company, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture Gerald Kusaya said: “I urge Kilombero Sugar Company to increase production from the current 125,000 tonnes to 265,000 tonnes per annum because once the expansion project is completed farmers will have enough market,” he said.
Mr Kusaya said this in response to reports from Kilombero Valley sugarcane farmers who said the current KSCL factory capacity was to crash 600,000 tonnes of sugarcane.
Meanwhile, Kilombero sugarcane growers from 20 sugarcane growers associations had the capacity to produce 900,000 tonnes for the sugar company.
He added that sugar production in the country was still low as the current production stood at 450,000 tonnes per annum, while total production by all sugar factories in the country stood at 350,000 tonnes.
KSCL is the leading sugar producer in the country with a market share of 35 per cent whilst 40 per cent of it comes from sugarcane growers from Kilombero and Kilosa Districts.
“The government wants to ensure that investments in agriculture will see more Tanzanians do well financially,” said the PS.
The main aim of cane farmers’ day exhibition is to encourage sugarcane growers to utilise technology and use standard seeds which will ultimately help the country produce enough sugar.
For his part, KSCL Country Managing Director Guy Williams said KSCL would work hard to ensure the expansion project addressed the market issue for sugarcane farmers.
Mr Williams added that KSCL worked in line with President John Magufuli’s directive to ensure next year major shareholders reached an agreement to help the factory process all sugarcane supplied by growers.
“The Covid-19 took us several steps back, but we have now resumed talks with our investors and hopeful by April 2021 we will be able to work on the expansion project which will enable us to purchase all sugarcane from Kilombero growers,” said Mr Williams.
Sugarcane Farmers Day was organised by stakeholders in the sugar industry, including Kilombero Sugar Company, Tari, the Sugar Board of Tanzania, Financial institutions, the National Institute for Sugar, sugarcane growers from Kilombero and Kilosa Districts, as well as African Wildlife Fund (AWF)
