Uganda to start manufacturing pharmaceutical sugar
President Museveni has in the past tipped farmers to strive towards processing agro products such as sugar for soft drinks and pharmaceuticals to their finer levels to meet the local industrial demand. Net Photo
Uganda is set to start manufacturing pharmaceutical sugar in a bid to boost the economy.
Recently, President Museveni tipped farmers to strive towards processing agro products such as sugar for soft drinks and pharmaceuticals to their finer levels to meet the local industrial demand.
According to him, Uganda is importing sugar for making syrups yet it can be locally processed.
Kakira Sugar Works in Jinja District heeded to that call and is currently in the final stages of manufacturing pharmaceutical sugar.
“We are responding to the President’s call of reducing on the importation of most of the products; as Kakira, we have succeeded in production of most of the products and have now resorted to production of refined sugar,’’ Mr Christian Vincke, the General Manager, said.
The company’s Director Corporate Affairs, Mr K.P Eswar, said they will be producing between 35,000 to 50,000 metric tonnes of refined sugar every year depending on the demand.
“We can’t exactly tell when we shall start because we have been delayed by the outbreak of Covid -19; but we are in touch with the supplier of the equipment,’’ he said.
Mr Eswar called for government support so that the local industry won’t be affected by the imported refined sugar.
“We need strict guidelines to be put in place so that the local industry is protected. Some countries produce large quantities of products and the surplus is dumped in our market,’’ he said.
The State Minister for Investment and Privatization, Ms Evelyn Anite, who was touring the plant last week, said Uganda has been importing refined sugar even when it has the capacity of producing enough sugar.
“We don’t have pharmaceutical sugar and sugar to use in the soft drinks like soda. I visited Coca-Cola industry and their refined sugar was imported from Egypt. The country currently doesn’t have high grade refined sugar,’’ she said.
Ms Anite added that the establishment of the first plant in the region will create investment opportunities for those who will start making syrups because of the availability of raw materials.
“We will start exporting the refined sugar to even East African countries because as a region, we have been lacking such a plant that modifies sugar to that grade,’’ she said.
According to Ms Anite, the Covid-19 pandemic has been an eye opener to Uganda because most of the products have always been imported.
“We are currently promoting Buy Uganda Build Uganda (BUBU) by manufacturing our products locally. Ugandans must be able to enjoy our locally made products other than depending on imported items. As a country, we have a high dependency syndrome and depending more on imported goods,” she said.
