Online Reporter
Nqobile Bhebhe
Zimpapers Business Hub
The sugarcane industry is set for a major transformation, with plans to double production from 400 000 tonnes to 800 000 tonnes by 2035, while scaling up electricity co-generation capacity from 23,5 megawatts (MW) to 59,5MW, significantly enriching the national grid.
These ambitious targets, which include penetrating new regional and international markets by enhancing product quality, form part of the Zimbabwe Sugarcane Industry Development Strategy (2026–2035), developed through wide stakeholder consultations held in Harare in August and later in Chiredzi.
Last year, the country’s two sugar-milling companies, Triangle and Hippo Valley, produced 439 000 tonnes of sugar, significantly exceeding the country’s annual consumption of approximately 350,000 tonnes.
Speaking at the validation workshop last week, Dr Thomas Wushe, the Permanent Secretary for Industry and Commerce, told stakeholders that the sugarcane industry is not only an economic driver, but also a lifeline for tens of thousands of Zimbabweans.
“The sugarcane industry is not only an economic contributor, but a lifeline for over 30 000 direct and indirect Zimbabwean employees, a pillar of rural industrialisation and a key player in our national vision to achieve upper-middle-income status by 2030,” said Dr Wushe.
He said the sector’s structure, which includes 1 200 registered out-growers contributing 43 percent of national sugarcane output, demonstrates inclusive growth and community empowerment.
“The sector contributes 1,4 percent to GDP and is intricately linked with operations in other sectors. It has an installed capacity to produce 600 000 tonnes of sugar annually, yet currently, it is producing 400 000 tonnes,” he added.
