Sugar industry targets 100% output surge
Sugar industry targets 100% output surge
STAFF WRITER
Zimbabwe’s sugarcane industry is embarking on an ambitious decade-long growth drive aimed at doubling sugar production from 400,000 metric tonnes to 800,000 metric tonnes by 2035, while expanding its electricity cogeneration capacity from 23.5MW to 59.5MW, with surplus energy to be fed into the national grid.
These bold targets form part of the Zimbabwe Sugarcane Industry Development Strategy (2026–2035), a comprehensive roadmap developed through wide-ranging stakeholder consultations held in Harare and Chiredzi. The plan seeks to reposition the industry as a central pillar of rural industrialisation, energy generation, and export growth.
Last year, Zimbabwe’s two major sugar producers, Triangle and Hippo Valley, delivered 439,000 tonnes, well above the country’s annual consumption of about 350,000 tonnes.
Speaking at the strategy validation workshop in Chiredzi, Permanent Secretary for Industry and Commerce, Dr Thomas Wushe, said the sugarcane industry remained both an economic engine and a livelihood anchor for thousands.
“The sugarcane industry is not only an economic contributor but a lifeline for over 30,000 direct and indirect Zimbabwean employees, a pillar of rural industrialisation and a key player in our national vision to achieve upper-middle-income status by 2030,” said Dr Wushe.
He noted that the sector’s inclusive structure — with 1,200 registered out-growers contributing 43 percent of total cane output — reflected community empowerment and shared growth.
“The sector contributes 1.4 percent to GDP and is intricately linked with operations in other sectors. It has an installed capacity to produce 600,000 metric tonnes of sugar annually, yet currently it’s producing 400,000 metric tonnes,” he added.
Dr Wushe described the new strategy as “bold, ambitious and necessary”, designed to orchestrate a coordinated revival of an industry with vast transformative potential.
“It aligns with our National Development Strategy 1 and 2, the Zimbabwe National Industrial Development Policy 2, and the Agriculture, Food Systems and Rural Transformation Strategy. It is designed to unlock the full potential of the sugarcane value chain — from farming, milling, ethanol production, electricity generation, to export diversification,” he said.
Central to the plan is value addition and beneficiation.
“We aim to transform existing milling operations into state-of-the-art bio-refineries capable not only of producing refined sugar but also bioethanol and other sugar derivatives. We aim to double sugar production from 400,000 to 800,000 metric tonnes,” Dr Wushe said.
He also highlighted that electricity cogeneration would be scaled up to strengthen both energy security and sector profitability.
“The expansion of electricity cogeneration capacity, from 23.5MW to 59.5MW, will be vigorously pursued to promote energy security while enhancing sector profitability.”
To boost foreign currency earnings, the strategy prioritises market diversification and export growth.
“We intend to penetrate new regional and international markets by enhancing product quality, compliance with international standards, and market intelligence capabilities,” Dr Wushe said.
Under this plan, sugar exports are projected to surge from 100,000 metric tonnes to 470,000 metric tonnes, while ethanol output is expected to grow from 155 million litres to 320 million litres annually.
However, Dr Wushe stressed that the success of the blueprint hinges on reducing production costs and maintaining a conducive operating environment.
He revealed that, in response to requests from manufacturers seeking relief from high local prices, the Government was allowing controlled sugar imports under the Local Content Strategy.
“We are allowing companies procuring locally 80 percent of their sugar requirements to cover the remaining 20 percent through imports,” he said.
Dr Wushe also cited ongoing legislative reforms aimed at modernising the Sugar Production Control Amendment Bill, which has remained outdated.
“The assumption of joint administration of the Sugar Production Act and continuous stakeholder engagement is aimed at smoothing the review of this outdated law. Finalisation of the process will bring closure to outstanding issues affecting both millers and farmers,” he said.
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