Times Of Swaziland: ‘ESWATINI SUGAR CHEAPEST AMONG COMESA MARKETS’

‘ESWATINI SUGAR CHEAPEST AMONG COMESA MARKETS’
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  BY ASHMOND NZIMA on 30/06/2020 00:13:00


MBABANE - Mill white/brown sugar from the country was the cheapest in May
imports in the COMESA region, a report has found.
COMESA is the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa and it is the
largest regional economic organisation in Africa, with 19 member States that
include Eswatini. Data from the Sugar Directorate, and shared by the Business
Daily from Kenya, indicated that Eswatini’s sugar imports were the cheapest
with an average price of Sh54 209 (about E8 775) per tonne.
“Mill white/brown sugar from Swaziland (Eswatini) was the cheapest with an
average price of Sh54 209 per tonne. Sugar from East Africa Community, precisely
from Uganda, was landing at an average price of Sh64 420 per tonne,” said the
directorate.
In a report published early last year, COMESA reported that the top producer of
sugar in the region is Eswatini, having produced over 650 000 metric tonnes (MT)
followed by Egypt at 595 000 MT then Zambia with 450 000 MT.
Expensive
Sugar from Uganda, according to the report, was the most expensive in May
imports, signalling high prices for consumers in that country in the coming
days.
“Cheap imports normally play a major role in keeping the cost of sugar low in
an importing country.
“Data from the Sugar Directorate indicates a tonne of sugar imported from
Uganda cost Sh64 420 compared with countries like Zimbabwe where the same
quantity fetched Sh59 279, Egypt (Sh61 842) and Mauritius (Sh59 342).
“Cost, Insurance and Freight (CIF) of the landed commodity in Mombasa for the
imported table sugar averaged Sh60 117 per tonne in the review period,” reads
the report.