MBABANE: Senator Mancoba Khumalo, the Minister of Commerce, Industry and Trade has urged the sugar industry to consider diversification and value addition in their strategies to ensure viability in the long-term.
According to Government online platforms, the Minister was speaking during the opening of the 62nd International Sugar Organisation Council Session held this week under the theme: “Resilient sugar industries in the midst of climate change and emerging geopolitics.”
“The focus on the primary product, which is sugar, has proven to be unsustainable in the long-term. Indeed, more can be produced from the stalk of cane, by creating various by-products from the different stages of the
production processes.To this end, the Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini challenges the sugar association and the entire industry to collaborate with Government in the establishment of a sugar industrial park where full beneficiation of sugar and byproducts will be done,” said the Commerce Minister.
From left: SA Political Economy Analyst and Futurist Daniel Silke, Minister of Finance Neal Rijkenberg. Fiji Minister of Sugar Industry Charan Jeath Singh and Fiji Ministry of Sugar Industry Permanent Secretary Yogesh Karan during the opening of the 62nd International Sugar Organisation Council Session(pic: Gov).