State working towards enhancing sugar industry competitiveness – KBC

The government is developing solutions, to enhance the Kenyan Sugar Industry’s competitiveness. 

Ministry of Industrialization, Trade and Enterprise Development Chief Administrative Secretary Dr Lawrence Karanja says remedying these solutions will require a multi-sectoral approach to regulate the sub-sector, control sugar imports as well as develop and promote sugarcane value chains. 

Sugar consumption has grown steadily outpacing domestic production. The country is yet to reach self-sufficiency in sugar production, as several mills continue to operate inefficiently and below capacity. 

The sub-sector faces a myriad of challenges like high-cost of production, acute cane shortage, low productivity, inefficiencies across the value chain, weak regulatory framework and illegal sugar imports. 

Speaking via zoom at the launch of the KAM Sugar Sub-Sector Strategic Plan,  Ministry of Industrialization Chief Administrative Secretary Lawrence Karanja says the government is working on solutions to enhance the Kenyan Sugar Industry’s competitiveness.

To this end, Kenya Association of Manufacturers has developed a five-year Sugar Millers Strategic Plan to provide a holistic framework for addressing the long-standing and emerging challenges facing the Subsector.

The Strategic Plan which seeks to guide the industry’s growth, resilience and sustainability covers Sugar Policy and Advocacy; Research and Innovation; and Value Chain and Development.