Good weather and increased cultivation by small scale farmers is expected to increase sugar production in Uganda from 259,413 in 2011 to 327,075 tonnes this year. just over the country’s annual requirement of 320,000 tonnes.
Strong rains have been experienced in areas that saw drought in 2011, according to a sugar sector official quoted by Reuters.
The expected 2012 would represent a reversal of two years of a recent trend of year to year decline. Last year's output was significantly down from 2010's production of 292,051 tonnes.
The sugar output for 2011 had been predicted to be 350,000 tonnes before drought and a criminally set fire at Kinyara Sugar Works, the country’s second biggest sugar refiner, reduced the actual yield to 259,000 tonnes. The shortfall was made up by duty-free imports in 2011, which Ugandan refiners this year then complained left them with higher-priced stocks that could not compete.
African Agriculture
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February 19, 2012
Good weather, more growers to see Uganda sugar production up 26% in 2012
Categories sugar, sugar cane, Uganda
