Sugar production in Mozambique could reach 210,000 tonnes in the 2024/2025 campaign, a slightly upward trend compared to the previous season, when indicators were set at around 200,000 tonnes.
However, this behaviour is still below the real capacities of the national industry, largely due to the influence of the shutdown of the Maragra sugar mill in 2022 due to flooding in the southern province of Maputo, as well as the impact of climatic events, which have been frequent in the country.
These prospects were presented to ‘Notícias’ by the executive director of the Association of Sugar Producers of Mozambique (APAMO), Orlando da Conceição.
But even though the quantities do not match the industry’s capacity, production will continue to respond to demand from the national market.
Over the last 10 years, sugar production in Mozambique has averaged around 350,000 tonnes/year, in a context where the country absorbs only half of this quantity.
In fact, the executive director of APAMO had already explained that on some occasions Mozambique doesn’t even consume 50 per cent of the quantities produced, which means that the availability of this product on the market is not threatened.
Da Conceição argued that although the Maragra sugar plant, which is now paralysed, is of significant importance, other producers, such as the Xinave sugar plant in Maputo province and Mafambisse in central Sofala, continue to contribute so that the market doesn’t feel penalised.
At the moment, the industry’s biggest concerns are the illegal entry of sugar into the country, which can be seen in the reduction in production in recent years.
AIM
