Dar es Salaam: Tanzania is set to receive relief from its sugar shortage as the government has sanctioned the import of 50,000 tonnes of sugar this month, reported The Citizen.
The importation process is already underway and is anticipated to be completed within a month, alleviating the current scarcity.
Gerald Mweli, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, reassured the public, stating, “Import orders have been placed, but it takes about a month for the sugar to arrive and be distributed. We expect the shortage to ease significantly after that period.” The import window will remain open until the end of June, ensuring a continuous supply throughout the current financial year.
Mweli expressed optimism about the imminent return of local production as well. “With the rains subsiding, sugarcane mills have resumed operations,” he mentioned. “If this trend continues for two weeks, the country will have a surplus of sugar.”
The imported sugar will be distributed by respective importers in their usual areas, utilizing existing networks to ensure efficient reach. This targeted distribution approach aims to alleviate regional price discrepancies and stabilize the sugar supply across the entire country.
Currently, sugar prices in certain parts of Tanzania have surged to alarming levels, ranging from Sh4,000 to Sh5,500 per kilogram. The shortage originated from heavy rains in November and December, leading sugar factories in crucial regions like Kilimanjaro and Morogoro to temporarily cease production. Fortunately, with the easing of rains and local mills back in operation, the worst seems to be over.
