Senior Reporter
Sugarcane farmers in Chiredzi have called on Government to ban the importation of sugar as there is plenty of it on the local market.
The farmers say have over 100 000 tonnes of sugar in stock. 
In an interview last week, Zimbabwe Sugarcane Development Association chairperson Mr Edmore Veterai, said they was no sugar shortage in the country and hence no reason for imports.

“As sugarcane farmers we are concerned by some errant business people who are importing sugar in the country. As we speak, we are sitting on 100 000 tonnes of processed sugar from last season’s harvest and now we are already in the milling season. We might have more than a million tonnes of sugar yet others are busy importing inferior, uninspected and questionable sugar,” he said.

Mr Veterai called on Government to protect the local market.
He said the sugarcane industry employs over 25 000 people and their jobs must be protected.

“We are also having discussions with our millers, Tongaat Hulett, to achieve a unity of purpose in the industry and to keep our prices and quality of sugar competitive. This can only be achieved if the market is absorbing our products,” he said.

Police in Harare bust a sugar smuggling syndicate a fortnight ago and recovered over 8 000 tonnes.
The sugar was imported from India and investigations have shown that the directors of Grindsberg Investment Private Limited, trading as Oriental, had permits to import the commodity.