Zanzibar continues to import sugar

ZANZIBAR: The Zanzibar government has stated that it continues to import sugar from Mainland Tanzania and abroad because production at the Mahonda Sugar Factory remains insufficient to meet local demand.

Responding to questions raised by backbenchers about the prevalence of imported sugar in Zanzibar’s market, the Minister of Tourism and Heritage, Mr Mudrik Ramadhan Soraga, on behalf of the Minister of Trade and Industry—said that local production is still low.

“In Zanzibar, we primarily use sugar imported from Brazil and India, as production from the Mahonda factory is inadequate,” he said, responding to question from Wawi legislator Mr Bakar Hamad Bakar, who had expressed concerns about the protection of local industries.

 ALSO READ: Minister says blue economy is ‘game changer’ for Zanzibaris

He noted that the estimated sugar consumption in Zanzibar averages 36,000 tonnes per year, while Mahonda Sugar Factory produces an average of 8,000 tonnes annually, meeting only 22 per cent of the island’s demand.

To illustrate the disparity, Mr Soraga highlighted that in 2023, Zanzibar imported 31,402 tonnes of sugar, while the Mahonda factory produced only 4,560 tonnes—equivalent to 14.5 per cent of the total requirement.

During the first seven months of 2024 (January to July), Zanzibar imported 14,235 tonnes of sugar, whereas Mahonda produced just 2,000 tonnes.