Incoming is a sugar bill that will see the regulation and sale and production of sugar in the country, as the bill is now at the Ministry of Justice. The Minister of Industry Roy Kachale Banda revealed the progress during a visit to Illovo Sugar Africa Limited head office in Limbe.

“I am glad to report that the bill is now at the Ministry of Justice.” said Kachale “I will personally push for a speedy process of ensuring that it is ready because the bill is very important,” The bill is expected to connect buyers to a broader market, as well as regulating minimum gate prices. The bill also arrives as growers have bemoaned low prices, as the Sugarcane Growers Association of Malawi (Sugam) attributed the problem to low prices being offered on the international market and heavy smuggling of sugarcane into the country.

Sugam’s Chairperson therefore called on the government to intervene on prices and to tighten border security so that there is a complete halt to the smuggling of sugar into the country. “Government should intervene in this crisis and assist smallholder farmers in reviewing the prices and where possible the lowest price should remain the provisional price which farmers were receiving during the 2019 milling season,” Njolomole added.