By Nokwanda Mamba

MBABANE: Banele Nyamane, the newly appointed Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of the Swaziland Sugar Association(ESA) has promised to work towards improving the sugar industry by, among others, securing new markets.

Speaking to this Swaziland News on Saturday evening, shortly after being unveiled by the Board of Directors, the CEO said ESA was mainly tasked with the regulation of the industry and the marketing of all the sugar and by-products produced by it. 

“The industry is made up of sugarcane growers (whose number is more than 460 and millers. A number of these growers are in the form of associations, which benefit thousands of emaSwati. The main responsibility of ESA is to ensure that the industry thrives and is sustainable, for the benefit of its members - and the many other segments of the economy which depend on it,” he said.

The CEO said the industry faces two main challenges at the moment being the steep rise in input costs (fertiliser, fuel, energy, etc) and the advent of climate change. 

“My main focus will be ensuring the sustainability of the industry into the long term by ensuring we continue finding more lucrative markets for local sugar (in order to realise even higher revenues) for the benefit of members. We also need to pursue the identification of response mechansims to the advent of climate change, e.g. through developing more water storage facilities, developing new cane varieties (that will be resilient to the emerging climatic conditions).It is important to emphasise that beyond the more than 460 members of the industry (including the three millers), thousands of emaSwati benefit by providing labour and other services to the growers and millers. Therefore it is important that we ensure that they survive and thrive collectively,” he said.

The former MTN eSwatini Manager said he would also work towards sustaining the long-standing harmonious relations between millers and growers in the sugar industry.

“I am very fortunate in that within the ESA team, I will be working with very capable individuals, some of whom were around when the industry faced similar challenges in the past,” said the CEO.