Tanzania: Sugar Price Rises By 1,700/-Per 1kg in Retail Market

By Daily News Reporter in Dodoma

THE price of sugar shot up by 1,700/- per 1kg in the capital city's retail market on Monday.

The upward trend in the sugar price has continued for three consecutive months even after the

government had said "some local factories have started production that will lower sugar pr

Retailers sold sugar at between 3,400/-and 3,500/-yesterday, the price having jumped from at 1,800/-, according to last's year survey.

A recent survey at the city's largest mall only found sugar trading at 3,000/-having also jumped from 2,500/-two weeks earlier.

Ministry of Agriculture and Industry and Trade officials could not be reached for comment yesterday, but it is on record that the government's ongoing steps include introducing new factories to increase local production.

During the 2019/20, Tanzania's sugar demand reached 710,000 tonnes.

These include 545,000 tonnes needed for domestic consumption and at least 165,000 tonnes being for industrial use.

A statement that was issued by Trade and Industry Permanent Secretary, Prof Riziki Shemdoe shows that as of September last year the five operating factories Kilombero, Mtibwa, Kagera, TPC and Manyara had produced 39 per cent of their target to produce 378,449 tonnes.

The government says it expects production at Mkulazi (I) and (II) will add 250,000 more tonnes per year. Mkulazi (I), which is located in Morogoro Rural, has capacity to produce 200,000 tonnes per year.

"The other project is that in Bagamoyo-Coast Region.

The factory expects to produce 350,000 tonnes of sugar in 2021."

Likewise, the government noted that plans included the production of 4,000 tonnes at Chamwino sugar project. Other areas under review include Geita and Kigoma where a portion of sugar production is expected to take off.

Majaliwa Luhende, a trader at Kikuyu in Dodoma told 'Daily News' that "customers coming to buy sugar have been turning away immediately after learning the new price. We have no choice so do they," he said.

He asked the authorities to address the challenge immediately.

Ms Asha Hajji, a resident of Dodoma CBD was worried that the price of sugar would likely to rise even more especially during this time when the world battled with the global health pandemic-Covid-19.