admin17 May 1980
Harare. — A Zimbabwe delegation leaves for London today to negotiate entry into the International Sugar Organisation.
If the delegates succeed in getting an export quota, the country’s biggest food export would bring in millions of dollars more each year.
The four-man delegation is led by Mr Rodney Saich, deputy secretary (Trade) of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The mission returns at the end of the month.
The ISO comprises sugar producers throughout the world and allocates each member an export quota.
Until now, this country has had to battle on its own to sell to the rest of the world.
Raw sugar far outstrips other foods in Zimbabwe’s exports earnings.
In January the country earned $5.1 million from 28 000 tonnes sold and this income is sure to increase greatly if Zimbabwe is admitted to the “club.”
World sugar prices are rising strongly.
Traders are expecting prices to go even higher because of falling supply due to Russian and Cuban crop problems.
Other members of the Zimbabwe delegation are Mr David Beaven, under-secretary (overseas trade) in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry; Mr Brian Bullet, managing director of Hippo Valley Estates, and Mr Geoff Thomas, general Manager of Sugar Sales.
Mr Saich was also head of a Government team which held detailed preliminary talks this week in Salisbury with Common Market Officials.
The talks followed the acceptance in principle of Zimbabwe joining the Lome Convention.
Mr Saich said yesterday: “We have been planning for these negotiations for over a year and in recent months have developed very close personal contacts with key officials of the European Economic Community. We were able to finish these discussions in only three days.”
One step remains- full negotiations in Brussels, which are likely to take place next month.
Lessons
• Sugarcane growing estates in Zimbabwe include, Triangle, Hippo Valley, Mkwasine including Chapiwa (a resettlement scheme where the farmers have about 10ha each) and Mpapa (a group of 17 farmers with about 35ha each).
• The sugar industry in Zimbabwe has been a significant player in major infrastructural projects, including dams and the Chisumbanje Ethanol plant
• Sugar production can result in many by-products, chief among them molasses.
Leftover sugarcane might be used to fuel the refinery’s boiler or to make paper.
Molasses may also be combined with the dregs of sugar beets to make food for farm animals.
• The involvement of small-holder farmers in sugar production is a great initiative which improves livelihoods.
Online Reporter