Zimbabwe currently possesses an ample supply of sugar for both domestic consumption and export, despite recent shortages within the country, according to Dr. Washington Mutatu, a senior agriculture and industrial research chemist at the Zimbabwe Sugar Association Experiment Station. Dr Mutatu reassured the public that there is no need for alarm regarding temporary shortages, as there is an abundance of sugarcane ready for harvesting, reported The Herald.
“We are presently generating enough sugarcane to meet the demands of our domestic market and for export. Consumers need not worry about sugar availability; it is plentiful,” he affirmed. Dr Mutatu explained that despite the surplus, exports would not deplete the local market due to Zimbabwean sugar’s lack of competitiveness caused by high electricity, water, fertilizer, and labour production costs.
“Our production costs are considerably high, prompting us as scientists to explore methods for reducing them,” Dr. Mutatu stated. He advocated for sugar producers to diversify into the production of additional sugar by-products to enhance their revenue streams. Some examples of these by-products include ethanol, fuels, and molasses.
