eBusiness Weekly
Kudakwashe Mhundwa
HARARE – Nearly half of sugar cane in the country has been processed to date, latest figures from the Commercial Farmers (CFU) Union show.
This comes as Zimbabwe’s sugar production is projected to increase by 17 percent to 460 000 metric tonnes in the 2018/19 season, mainly due to higher volumes of better quality sugarcane available for crushing.
At its peak, production was 900 000 tonnes.
“The industry is predicting a crop of 456 000 t/sugar for the season. Production is progressing well with a little under 50 percent of the crop having been processed to date,” said CFU Masvingo regional Chairman Mike Clark in a 2018 report presented by the union.
The anticipated increase in sugar production comes amid reports that boom is on the back of high cane deliveries from out grower farmers who benefited from the land reform programme and improved irrigation water supply after the completion of Togwe-Mukosi Dam.
Mkwasine cane farming area is more than 8 200 hectares and has 499 new black farm owners, with plot sizes ranging between 10 and 40 hectares.
Mr Clark highlighted that the industry has adequate reserves of water supply which are accredited to the Togwe-Mukosi Dam.
“The industry is still benefiting from the Togwe Mukosi waters thereby assisting in the replenishing of reserves in the Mutirikwi system. There are two and a half years of water supply currently available to the industry.
“The usual climatic conditions experienced at the start of the season have caused the crop to flower extensively however this has minimal impact on recoveries.” He said
Mr Clark also said although sales in the industry remain firm increases on input supplies being faced in the industry are attributed to suppliers who are trying to profiteer from shortages in nostro funds.
“There are significant price increases on essential input being experienced. Most of these are by speculative suppliers profiteering from shortages caused by a shortage of nostro funds. Spares of tractors and machinery being the most significant increase.
“Sales are firm and local sales volumes are covered
