A Kenyan woman buying sugar at a local supermarket. [Photo/ Business daily.]
Kenyans buying sugar will have a sigh of relief following the maintenance of steady prices of sugar for the rest of the year.
Kenya imported a large quantity of sugar last month during the open window of duty waiver on cheap Sugar from Brazil.
According to sugar directorate, the millers and traders imported a total of 300,000 tonnes of sugar by the end of August 31. This amount of sugar is equal to the whole amount consumed by the country in six months.
Kenya is estimated to consume 50,000 tonnes of sugar every month.
Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) directorate general Alfred Busolo, said that the imported maize together with the locally produced sugar will be able to sufficiently sustain the country till February next year.
He also noted that the local production has improved to 20,000 tonnes per month thus boosting the domestic sugar supplies.
“We now have enough stocks of sugar in the market and this should last the country the next five months and help to lower the cost further,” said Mr. Busolo.
In May, there was sugar shortage that saw a kilo of sugar raising to Ksh 200 prompting the Treasury to scrap duty on the imported sugar out of the Common market for east and southern Africa (COMESA).
According to Directorate of Sugar Mr Solomon Odera, the cost of a tonne of sugar from Brazil is $400 (Sh41, 200) per tonne while that of COMESA states is $700(Sh72, 100) for the same quantity of sugar.