By ALICE NACHILEMBE
Zambia’s Ambassador to Brazil Alfreda Mwamba says they is need for Zambian farmers to increase sugarcane production to transform the country into a vibrant sugar producer and exporter to the outside world.
Dr Mwamba said Sugarcane production is one of the important commercial crops that contribute significantly to socio economic development in line with the National Agricultural policy.
She urged local farmers to begin growing sugarcane on a larger scale in order to compete on the export Market.
During a meeting organized by Brazil’s Sugarcane Association Producers in Pirajuba, Brazil, The Zambian Envoy said farmers must consider strengthening the Sugar Industry as it can also help in the biofuel, ethanol and green energy production.
Dr Mwamba said the unity shown by the Sugarcane Association in Brazil towards growing the sugar industry is a move worth emulating.
President of Brazil’s Sugarcane Association, Daine Frangisoi advised farmers on the African continent to grow sugarcane on a larger scale to compete with Latin America.
He said farmers in the Sugarcane Industry have formed an Association that oversees the growth of the Industry making it possible to produce 29.93 million metric tons of sugar, which makes the farmers support the government in the socio-economic development of the nation.
And Brazil’s largest sugar producer Usina Coruripe Regional Manager for Sustainability, Bertholdino Teixeira disclosed that the demand for sugar exports from Brazil amid the Corona-Virus pandemic is huge, which makes the industry boom.
Usina Coruripe Administrative Manager Milena Marinho emphasized the need for SADC countries to invest more in the production of Sugar for export as the commodity is constantly on high demand.
Brazil is the world’s largest sugar producer and a major net exporter of raw sugar, having exported 18.3 million metric tons of raw and white sugar in the last farming season.
