ZIMBABWE SUGAR SELF-SUFFICIENT

#ZimbabweSugarProduction Repost from 29/04/17

Sugar cane production Zimbabwe.

Generally Zimbabwe's conversation around the success of small scale Zim farmers is around Tobacco, but rarely do people speak of the miracle of sugar cane in which Zimbabwe is a net exporter, producing 422 855mt of sugar, exporting 35% of it [148 000mt] to the US, Europe and the region.

Not only do we export sugar we also produce and export 25mil liters of rectified industrial spirit from molasses.

In support of Zimbabwean nonGM sugar, Europe has invested €48mil into Zimbabwean sugar farming in support of Zimbabwe's National Sugar Adaptation Strategy to develop more A2 indigenous farmers to get Zimbabwean output to 600 000mt from its currency 422 855mt of sugar.

In 2013 newly resettled farmers produced 22% of the sugar cane in the country and they enjoy a higher yield at 86 tonnes/hectare since 2009 compared to the commercial estate average of 83 tonnes/hectare.

Again this is testament to the fact that black farmers given the time, support and opportunity can out produce commercial farmers or at least match them.

It's important that we see sugar as a diversified investment opportunity in our country considering the demand and investment into the sector by the EU. More importantly, lets use it as motivation to undo the misinformation and uninformed pessimistic publicity that we as Zimbabweans are famous for creating about ourselves.

#TellingTheGoodZimbabweStory

Rutendo Bereza Matinyarare