No sugar importation permits will be granted, says Mkenda

Dodoma. The minister of agriculture Adolph Mkenda has on Monday said he will not grant permits for importation of sugar and instead he would rather resign from his position.
He called on business people who have been putting pressure on the ministry with the intension of being granted permit to import sugar in the country for personal interest in the process threatening local production.
" Many business persons have been approaching the ministry over sugar import permits something that would make farmers in the country to cast away 350000 tonnes of sugarcane in Mtibwa due sugar importation,” the minister said.
Mkenda was speaking at the launch of the 5th National Statistics Census for Agriculture (NSCA) as exhibited by NBS for the year 2019/2020.
According to him there has been a challenge in sugar production leading to importation of sugar in the country yet the country has sufficient resources to meet the internal demand.
"The ministry will not grant permits for importation of sugar shall be given permit unless the sugar board has made analysis of the sugar gap and the permits shall only be given out to the sugar producers in the country. I would rather resign than give random permits for sugar importation," Mkenda said.
Speaking further, the minister said that Sh576 billion is set to be invested by Kilombero sugar an amount that will double the internal sugar production.  This he said will reduce sugar importation from 100,000 tones to 50,000 tones.