Price Of Sugar Hits Ksh 190 Per Kilogram

By Juma / Published October 12, 2022 | 10:04 am

KEY POINTS

Cartels within the sugar industry have often been blamed by other stakeholders for importing cheap sugar into the country then repackaging it as local brands and selling it at exorbitant prices.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

The decline in the volume of sugarcane crushed in May saw the quantities produced by factories decline by eight percent to 63,209 tonnes.

Kenya is allowed to import up to 350,000 tonnes of sugar from the Comesa bloc to bridge the annual local deficit.

The price of a kilogram of sugar has hit 190 shillings in most parts of the country despite the screaming and wailing of the majority of Kenyans. This means that a 2-kilogram packet of sugar in some parts just hit 360 shillings.

In some supermarkets such as Naivas, a 2-kilogram packet of sugar for some brands is retailing at 315 shillings up from as low as 220 shillings. The recent spike in sugar prices has not been explained by the concerned bodies.

Cartels within the sugar industry have often been blamed by other stakeholders for importing cheap sugar into the country then repackaging it as local brands and selling it at exorbitant prices.

The recent increase in prices is one of the highest in recent years and adds to a long list of other commodities whose prices have become so expansive that most households have opted to go without. Some commodities whose prices have gone up include bar soaps, detergents, cooking oil, and maize flour among others.

In the month of April, the sugar imports into Kenya stood at 21,665 tonnes and were enhanced to 33,650 tonnes in May.

The High imports were necessitated by a decline in the total amount of sugarcane that was crushed during the period, which was 673,197 tonnes when compared with 719,481 tonnes recorded a month earlier.

The decline in the volume of sugarcane crushed in May saw the quantities produced by factories decline by eight percent to 63,209 tonnes. Kenya is allowed to import up to 350,000 tonnes of sugar from the Comesa bloc to bridge the annual local deficit.

There have been complaints from Kenyan millers and farmers that the government allows the importation of more sugar than is required, impacting negatively on the local prices.

About Juma

Juma is an enthusiastic journalist who believes that journalism has power to change the world either negatively or positively depending on how one uses it.(020) 528 0222 or Email: info@sokodirectory.com

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