Rwanda seeks more investments in sugar production to cut imports

Rwanda has announced plans to increase sugar production in the country in a bid to reduce sugar imports, which cost the nation millions of dollars annually.

The plan will see the country increase investments in local sugar production capacity to respond to the growing demand of market at home.

Rwanda imports 80,000 tonnes of sugar annually; however, plans are underway to allow investors with large sugarcane plantations to expand them and provide technical support to outgrowers to increase production.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Francois Kanimba, Rwanda minister of trade and industry, said that the current sugar production in the country, which is at 10,000 tonnes per year, is far less than the demand of 90,000 tonnes annually.

"We are looking at increasing investments in sugar production by allocating more land for sugarcane plantation. We have got investors from Mauritius planning to set up a sugar processing factory in our country, with capacity to produce 100,000 tonnes annually," he explained.

Kanimba stated that Rwanda's annual sugar demand is expected to reach 160,000 tonnes by 2020.

He noted that setting up of the sugar factories is in line with the government's efforts to reduce amount of money spent on sugar imports.

Rwanda's efforts to increase sugar production at home will also see Kabuye Sugar Works, the country's major sugar producer, increase production from the current 10,000 to 20,000 tonnes of sugar by 2018, and 50,000 tonnes in 2024. Enditem