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Charmaine Brown Herald Reporter
The Zimbabwe Sugar Association (ZSA) has urged the public not to hoard sugar because there are enough stocks to meet local demand.
In a statement last week, ZSA chairperson Mr Muchadeyi Masunda said that the country had 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 Tongaat Hulett 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.
Online Reporter