By Vincent Gunde
The Sugar Illovo Malawi has issued a public notice on the current challenges in the availability of sugar assuring customers that it remains committed to restoring a stable supply and is working closely with all stakeholders to manage the situation.
In the public notice, the Sugar Illovo Malawi said informal cross-border trade has led to sugar being diverted by local traders to neighboring countries saying this has created a shortage in some areas of the local market.
The Company has also attributed shortage of sugar in the country to the delayed start of their 2025 crushing season at both Nchalo and Dwangwa estates, caused by ongoing adverse weather conditions, including unexpected rains which have affected field access and slowed down harvesting operations.
“We expect this to improve as weather conditions stabilize and field operations normalize in the next couple of weeks, reads the public notice on the wall.
Human rights activist Comrade Edwards Kambanje, has called for the need to investigate production and distribution of sugar for Malawians to know on why sugar is scarce in the country and pricing noting with a great concern that sugar pricing in Malawi is very worrisome.
Kambanje said Malawians need to know how much sugar the manufacturer is producing, how much is allocated to the distributors and wholesales, and their areas of supply and how much is going to the general public observing that it looks like sugar is only being found in Chipiku Stores.
On his part, a Malawi Congress Party (NCP) diehard of Mvera in Dowa district Mr. Rodgers Kamphangala, said Malawi sugar has become an expensive commodity beside being grown locally and manufactured by three companies, Illovo Nchalo, Illovo Dwangwa and Salima sugar company.
Kampangala said the scarcity of sugar and its pricing is speaking for itself that the MCP led government under President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera has failed to deliver the much-needed commodity on the land and specifically to the Chewas that likes taking a cup of tea in Tea Rooms.
He has questioned the where-about of Minister of Trade and Industry Vitumbiko Mumba that is he aware that sugar is being sold at K6000 per 1 Kilogram packet, its scarcity and what is he is doing as minister responsible to make sure that the situation is put under control?
Kamphangala has reminded Malawians that former Minister of Trade Sosten Gwengwe was fired for sleeping on duty and this Mumba is doing the same and he is expecting President Chakwera to fire him claiming that President Chakwera has become a laughing stock by millions of Malawians not because of his wish but people surrounding him have failed to deliver.
“You fired Sosten Gwengwe for the very same reasons Vitumbiko Mumba is doing, watching the sugar situations. For sure, sugar going at K6000 per packet, “is this boma ndilomweli silikuchoka or another Boma?” he has questioned the MCP.
