Sugar imports fall 54pc in Q1 after duty free window shut

Solomon Odera, Sugar Directorate head. FILE PHOTO | NMG 

In Summary

• Imports dropped to 49,445 tonnes in the period under review from 107,622 tonnes of the first three months last year.
• Last month, the directorate said it had cut the volume of imports to an average of 7,000 tonnes a month from highs of 29,000 tonnes in ordinary circumstances.
• Normally, Kenya is allowed to import 350,000 tonnes of sugar annually from Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa).

By GERALD ANDAE
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Sugar imports in the first quarter of 2018 dropped 54 per cent compared with the same period last year when high volumes were shipped into the country in the duty-free window.

Market report from the Sugar Directorate indicates imports dropped to 49,445 tonnnes in the period under review from 107,622 tonnes of the first three months last year.

The monthly report also indicates that in March volumes went down to 9,907 tonnes from 33,623 tonnes in February.

During the month, table sugar imports totalled 1,815 tonnes while refined white sugar was 15,740 tonnes.

Last month, the directorate said it had cut the volume of imports to an average of 7,000 tonnes a month from highs of 29,000 tonnes in ordinary circumstances.

“We are still regulating the imports coming in the country to ensure that the volumes that we license in a month are manageable so that we do not affect the local millers,” said Mr Solomon Odera, head of the directorate.

READ: Sugar imports drop 72pc amid tighter regulator control

Normally, Kenya is allowed to import 350,000 tonnes of sugar annually from Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa), which is spread across the year to about 30,000 tonnes monthly.

The country imported over 950,000 tonnes of sugar between May and December last year as Kenya opened up window to allow traders to ship in the commodity from outside Comesa.