Sugar packaging sweetens devolution agenda
MANICALAND is negotiating for local fast-moving consumer goods distribution company, Mega Market, to package sugar for the export markets.
Speaking during a tour of the company yesterday (June 18), the Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Dr Ellen Gwaradzimba said packaging sugar in Mutare is in line with Government’s devolution thrust.
“We are in the process of negotiating with Tongaat Hullet so that Mega Market can do the sugar packaging here. At the moment, sugar is transported from the Lowveld to Harare for packaging. It is then transported by road all the way from Harare to Mutare enroute to the sea port of Beira,” she said.
Government has been on a drive to restore Mutare as the gateway to the sea as it seeks to increase production and grow exports to propel economic growth. Mutare is only 300km from Beira. Dr Gwaradzimba said if sugar is packaged locally, it will significantly cut costs and benefit sugarcane producers who have been burdened by the cost of transporting the product for packaging in Harare.
“We are only 300km away from the Port of Beira, so why not cut the long process of exporting the product by having the packaging done here in Mutare? At the end of the day, farmers will get maximum profit for the work they are doing in growing their sugar.
“We have the capacity to do it, so it can be done. This is part of our devolution efforts, to grow our industry, create employment and utilise the huge business opportunities in our province,” said Dr Gwaradzimba.
Besides milling and production, Mega Market also specialises in packaging and distribution of foods, particularly branded varieties of rice, maize-meal, salt and kapenta, among other products. They are also venturing into flour production, with a new plant under construction.
Mega Market managing director, Mr Muhammad Shiraan Ahmed said the company has the capacity to add sugar to the list of products they package.
However, he said the milling business had been affected by shortage of grain and was operating below capacity.
“With maize milling, we are operating at about 40 percent capacity due to shortage of maize to feed into the mill, but we are negotiating with Government for increased supply,” he said.
He revealed that the company is working towards venturing into export markets.