adminVincent Gono in Chiredzi
THE Zimbabwe Sugarcane Development Association is in the process of acquiring a new sugar milling plant from India that is going to see an increase in sugar production in the country.
The acquisition of the new plant, according to ZSDA chairman Mr Edmore Veterai, was at an advanced stage. The plant will be set up in the Hippo Valley area and would see sugarcane farmers recording few loses compared to now where the milling plant is in Triangle, a distance of about 70 kilometres from some of the farmers.
Although he declined to give more details about the cost and the other specifications of the plant, he said farmers were going to benefit as they were also going to get the all other by-products of their cane, something they are no enjoying now.
“ZSDA is in the process of acquiring a new sugar milling plant. Plans are at an advanced stage but I will not discuss the nitty-gritties of the deal but it will be from India. All what I can say is that we were facing challenges because the mill is far. The mill is in Triangle and for a farmer in Mkwasine it is a distance of 70 kilometres. What it means is that the farmer has to incur costs of carting the sugarcane and along the way there are stolen while some drop off. In the event that there is a problem with the train carrying it, it can spend days before getting to the mill and in that process it will be deteriorating in value leading to poor quality and a loss the farmer,” said Mr Veterai.
The ZSDA chairman also called on people to support the farmers through buying local sugar adding that although imports might be cheaper they were of low quality.
derick.khumalo