Deputy Minister of Agriculture Assures Public on Sugar Availability, Emphasizes Government Efforts

 Deputy Minister of Agriculture Assures Public on Sugar Availability, Emphasizes Government Efforts

Deputy Minister of Agriculture, David Silinde (MP), has urged citizens to dispel concerns about sugar availability, assuring that the government, recognizing the challenge, has already granted permits for sugar imports. Ships carrying a total of 100,000 tons of sugar have already docked at the port, while efforts to boost sugar production in other factories are ongoing.

Silinde made this call during the visit of the Permanent Parliamentary Committee on Industries, Trade, Agriculture, and Livestock to the sugar factories of Mbigiri and Mtibwa in the Morogoro Region on January 29, 2024, to assess the sugar production status in these facilities.

Providing a report to the committee, the Director of Mbigiri Sugar Factory, Selestine Some, mentioned that the factory has the capacity to produce 50,000 tons annually, with 50% allocated for domestic use.

In a bid to enhance production efficiency, the Parliamentary Committee urged the factory to continue overseeing production and ensure the completion of the installation of new sugar processing machinery, aiming to stimulate significant sugar production and alleviate the sugar shortage issue in the country.

In addition to these matters, the committee also witnessed the impacts of heavy rainfall, recording 729.49mm, three times more than the average rainfall of 288mm observed three years ago, causing various effects, especially in the agriculture sector, across different areas in the Morogoro region.