Sugar shortfall to ease, imports to reach Tanzania in a month

Dar es Salaam. Relief is finally on the horizon for Tanzania facing a sugar shortage.

The government has authorized 50,000 tonnes of sugar imports this month, a process already underway and expected to be completed within a month.

"Import orders have been placed, but it takes about a month for the sugar to arrive and be distributed. We expect the shortage to ease significantly after that period," assured Gerald Mweli, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture.

The import window will remain open until the end of June, ensuring continued supply throughout the current financial year.

However, Mweli expressed optimism that local production will soon come to the rescue.

"With the rains subsiding, sugarcane mills have resumed operations," he stated. "If this trend continues for two weeks, the country will have a surplus of sugar."

The imported sugar will be distributed by the respective importers in their usual areas, leveraging their existing networks to ensure efficient reach.

This targeted approach promises to alleviate regional price discrepancies and stabilize supply across the country.

Currently, sugar prices in some parts of Tanzania have soared to alarming levels, ranging from Sh4,000 to Sh5,500 per kilogram.

The shortage stemmed from heavy rains in November and December, forcing sugar factories in crucial regions like Kilimanjaro and Morogoro to temporarily halt production.

Fortunately, with the rains easing and local mills back in operation, the worst seems to be over.

TPC, the last holdout due to technical challenges, resumed production at the end of December, further bolstering the supply chain.

This episode highlights the delicate dependence of Tanzania's sugar industry on weather conditions.

When heavy rains inundate cane fields and hamper transportation, production inevitably suffers.

Diversifying the sugarcane cultivation regions and investing in resilient infrastructure could mitigate such disruptions in the future.

Overall, the expected arrival of imported sugar within a month, coupled with the resumption of local production, offers a welcome respite for Tanzanians struggling with the scarcity and high prices of this essential commodity.