Countries in the Common Market for East and Central Africa (Comesa) region are producing sugar in competitive amounts, says the Comesa regional bloc.

Figures show that Ethiopia produced 450 000 MT, Zimbabwe 391 000 MT, Kenya is at 376 000 MT while Mauritius and Malawi produced over 355 000 and 239 000 MT, respectively.

Africa accounts for six percent of the global total sugar production with Comesa member States accounting for 52 percent at 5.2 million metric tonnes of the total African sugar production of 10 million MT, according to findings from  Alliance for Commodity Trade in Eastern and Southern Africa (Actesa).

The top producer of sugar in the region is e-Swatini having produced over 650 000 metric tonnes (MT) followed by Egypt at 595 000 MT then Zambia with 450 000 MT.