The Zimbabwe Sugar Association (ZSA) has said it has received numerous enquiries on the availability of sugar in the local market and has also noted, with serious concern, that some retailers and wholesalers are trading sugar at prices way beyond the recommended levels.

ZSA said in some cases with consumers being made to pay in foreign currency, notwithstanding the fact that the industry sells and delivers sugar in Zimbabwe dollars.

“It has therefore become necessary for the ZSA to advise our valuable customers and interested stakeholders as follows:. Sugar packing and distribution operations were indeed briefly disrupted during the third week of March 2020 and the first week of April 2020 as the Millers and Refiners were implementing, at short notice, robust measures to protect the more than 20 000 employees from the COVID-19 pandemic. This resulted in some delivery backlogs to key wholesalers and retailers right across the country,” ZSA said.

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“We are pleased, however, to inform all our valuable customers that the sugar industry successfully recalibrated its operations and that all the necessary interventions are in place in order to mitigate Consequently, all backlogs have virtually been cleared and normal deliveries are being scaled up to ensure that all areas across the country are fully serviced with immediate effect.”

“We are also pleased to advise that the 2020/21 sugar milling season started successfully and on schedule and that the Sugar Mills are currently operating at full capacity, with no major bottlenecks. The sugar industry expects to produce around 455 000 tons of sugar this season, compared to 441 000 tons in the prior season.”

ZSA said they are therefore calling upon all stakeholders to desist from speculative buying activities and implore wholesalers and retailers to continue selling sugar at the recommended prices.

“The sugar industry has resolved to monitor the situation on an on-going basis in order to encourage orderly behaviour in the trade,” said ZSA.