New sugarcane variety to boost production

Kabuye Sugar Works has introduced a new variety of sugarcane to be grown in upland areas to avert sugar shortages resulting from floods in marshlands.At its peak, the company produced 15,000 tonnes annually between 2007 and 2008, but floods slashed output to 11,000-12,000 tonnes per year creating a sugar deficit of 3000-4000 tonnes. This led to a price hike and the burden of importing the commodity.As the sole sugar producer in the country, Kabuye Sugar Works currently produces 10,000 tonnes per year. The country consumes an average of 50,000 tonnes of sugar per year with imports standing at a whopping 40,000 tonnes. “The sugarcane challenges we have today is a result of a traditional misguided mindset that the sugarcane has to be grown in marshlands only. In Uganda and other countries of East Africa, we are growing sugarcane on uplands and are doing very well,” the Executive Director of Madvani Group, Jim Kabeho, pointed out during an event to officially launch the growing of upland sugarcane on Thursday in Kigali.Individual out-growers or groups who will be contracted are expected to produce sugarcane on a large scale exceeding one hectare will receive tractors from the factory on credit.“Farmers will further receive free appropriate seeds and transport of the harvest to the factory. Agricultural technical services will also be freely offered by the factory,” Kabeho said.The company has worked with the Ministry of Agriculture and individual farmers to identify priority sites in Bugesera, Kicukiro, Nyarugenge, Gicumbi, Rurindo and Rwamagana districts. It so far has demonstration farms in Bugesera, Kicukiro and Rwamagana districts.The company targets to cultivate 3,000-3,500 hectares of farmland in five years with an expected output of 270,000-315,000 tonnes per year.“Much as a different variety of sugar is grown from upland (areas) and different soils are used, upland and marshland sugar are the same, Anselna Habimana, the administrative manager of Kabuye Sugar Works explained.He added that a farmer can earn Rwf 680,000 per harvest per hectare in upland areas and Rwf 400,000 in mashlands.An outgrower from Rurindo District, Laurent Gashugi, narrated the benefits of upland sugarcane. “First of all, sugarcane growing alone saved me from the pressure of marketing vegetables before the introduction of upland sugarcane. I no longer fear floods. My only concern is transportation and setting of the prices as this is technical. But I still make some profits of between Rwf500,000-600,000 per hectare per harvest of upland sugar and Rwf380,000 in marshlands.” An official at the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Telesphore Mugwiza, appreciated Kabuye Sugar Works and said efforts to get a second sugar factory in the country in Nasho, Eastern Province, was underway.He encouraged outgrowers to seize the abundant market opportunities, as he praised the land consolidation policy as a good strategy.“The outgrowers are blessed with such a huge market they cannot satisfy. We are doing everything possible to manage sugar shortages. Studies have been carried out and show there is appropriate soil in Nasho, for upland sugarcane growing,” explained Mugwiza.Banque Populaire is partnering with the sugar company to directly offer loans to the outgrowers to meet production costs.

National

New sugarcane variety to boost production