The Zimbabwe Sugar Association (ZSA) has urged members of
the public not to hoard sugar because there are enough stocks to meet local
demand.
In a statement last
Friday, ZSA chairperson Mr Muchadeyi Masunda said that the country has
sufficient sugar stocks to meet national requirements.
“As ZSA we urge all retailers and wholesalers to continue
behaving responsibly. We also advise our valued customers that the industry
will continue to deliver sugar nationwide to meet normal domestic
requirements,” he said.
“We also wish to reassure our valued customers and
stakeholders that the Zimbabwe Sugar Industry has sufficient stocks to meet the
national requirements for both industrial and household grades of sugar to the
next season,
“We urge players in the sugar trade to behave responsibly
as there are no sugar shortages in the country,” he said.
Mr Masunda also said as an association they noticed an
abnormal surge in the demand for sugar throughout the country.
“There has been an abnormal surge in demand for sugar
throughout the country resulting in artificial shortages due to speculative
activities by some unscrupulous traders and that was a result of panic buying
by customers as from May 16, 2019,” he said.
About 80 percent of Zimbabwe’s sugarcane crop is produced
by two large estates, namely Triangle Sugar Estate and Hippo Valley Estate with
the rest coming from private farmers and newly resettled farmers.
At least 65 percent of the sugar produced is for domestic
use while the rest is for export. Sugar output is expected to reach 500 000
tonnes this year, surpassing last year’s 460 000 tonnes. Herald
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