‘ Sugar value chain critical to economy’

THE sugar value chain will continue to get Government support given its critical contribution to the country’s socio-economic development, Industry and Commerce Minister Dr Sekai Nzenza has said.

Apart from being used in the production of ethanol, sugar by-products such as molasses and bagasse can also be used for electricity generation, while the value chain also employs many people and exports generate foreign currency.

In a speech read on her behalf yesterday while unveiling the National Competitiveness Commission Sugar Value Chain Report in Harare, Dr Nzenza said Government declared sugar as a strategic crop last year, and will therefore be supported.

“The unveiling of this report comes at a time when Government is implementing various policies and programmes meant to revitalise the economy in line with the National Development Strategy 1,” she said.

“At ministry level, under the pillar on moving the economy up the value chain and structural transformation, we are currently seized with the task of ensuring the growth and development of key value chains and the sugar value chain is amongst them.”

Dr Nzenza said her ministry has robust engagements among the sugar value chain stakeholders and the collaborations will eventually lead to high yields and increased competitiveness of the sugar value chain, improved employment and improvement of peoples’ lives.

Zimbabwe’s sugar and ethanol industries remain largely untapped and have potential to expand into multi-billion-dollar industry that will benefit all players along the value chain, right from cane farmers and suppliers of agricultural products.