RYAN CHIGOCHE
A Harare start-up, Sugarcane Bites is targeting markets in the United Kingdom, Kenya and Zambia, as part of its strategy to earn foreign currency, Business Times can report.
The SME, which processes sugarcane into smaller pieces that can be consumed easily, was founded by entrepreneur Maximos Kwenda in May this year.
And the product, which is peeled and ready to eat without the hustle of the tough skin which many find laborious, has become an instant hit in Zimbabwe.
Located in Waterfalls, the business has grown in leaps and bounds and is supplying the product across Zimbabwe to major retailers such as Spar, Food Lovers Market and the TM Pick n Pay chain.
Speaking to Business Times, Kwenda said that his business was initially targeting the markets in the United Kingdom, Kenya, and Zambia.
“Weekly we are selling 600-1000 punnets a month. The uptake is growing steadily with the coming on board of TM Pick n Pay. We expect the growth to continue. We have had some discussions with people in UK, Kenya, and Zambia who are interested in the product,” he said.
He added: “People who were avoiding to eat sugarcane because of the hard work involved in peeling it off, dirt that comes off when eating it the traditional way and those who have teeth related problems can now all eat sugarcane easily thanks to our initiative and innovation.
“Also, our innovation results in expanded access to sugarcane. Before, people were used to only getting sugarcane from the guy selling them by the roadside in some areas those roadsides are not always found. Now all these people can now buy sugarcane from a supermarket nearby. This will obviously result in more consumption.”
Kwenda is buoyant that value addition to sugar cane or to any other farm produce will create demand for the produce and will most likely be part of a solution to the plight of farmers who are at many times paid very low prices for their hard work because of market flooding.
He told Business Times that as of now the uptake of the product on the market is growing steadily and that soon they will tap into the export market.
Kwenda added that as the business continues to grow he is expecting more and more players to enter the market.
Fresh sugar cane is used in a number of ways across the world but the traditional ways to consume it have proved cumbersome to many.
Of late farmers were demotivated to take up sugar cane farming seriously because of the low demand for the crop leading also to very low prices being paid to farmers.
Sugar cane has a number of nutritional benefits and is a healthy alternative to refined white sugar.
With Kwenda’s innovative idea the demand for sugar cane is expected to skyrocket in the near future as more and more people will be able to access it and also because it’s being sold ready to eat.
