• Zimbabwe to make Sugar Association the industry regulator under a revised Sugar Act
• Aims to boost coordination, protect local market, and modernize the value chain
• A 10-year plan is in development to tackle production challenges

Zimbabwe intends to formalize the Zimbabwe Sugar Association, transforming it into the regulatory authority for the nation's sugar industry. The Herald, a local daily, reported this on Wednesday, July 16, citing Obert Jiri, permanent secretary at the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development. Jiri stated that the government has initiated a review of the law governing the sugar sector for this purpose.

"The Sugar Act is currently under review to align it with modern agricultural economic and environmental standards," Jiri explained. He added that the process is in its early stages, with legal teams collaborating to identify improvements to the current Sugar Act, which he noted "is more inclined towards the processing side."

This initiative by Zimbabwean authorities aims to better structure the entire sugar value chain, from production to marketing. It also seeks to facilitate coordination between large industrial players and small producers. Furthermore, the new regulator will be crucial in shielding the domestic industry from foreign competition by supporting trade policies designed to preserve the local market.

The move holds significant strategic importance as the Southern African nation is self-sufficient in sugar. Official data shows Zimbabwe's domestic sugar production reached 439,000 tons in the 2024/2025 period. Meanwhile, consumption averaged nearly 380,000 tonnes per year over the past three years, according to figures compiled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

However, observers note that the local industry faces several challenges to sustain its growth. These include high production costs, issues with the availability and access to inputs and labor, and the need for improved access to sugarcane cuttings to boost raw material output.

In response, the Ministry of Agriculture has started developing a ten-year plan for the sugar sector. "Recently, we also met with the sugar people to understand their concerns," Jiri said. "What we ended up saying is, let’s have a 10-year strategic plan whose consultations are currently underway to ensure that all the players in the sugar industry are involved."

Stéphanas Assocle