Mozambique may not achieve its targeted sugar output of 419,208 tonnes for 2009 despite recording a significant increase in production for the third quarter to end-September, a government agency said on Friday. The state-run Agricultural Promotion Centre (CEPAGRI) said sugar production could only rise to 329,148 tonnes this year from 250,191 tonnes in 2008, mainly due to poor rains, bad soils and a lengthy wage-related strike at one of the producers during the year which affected output.
CEPAGRI said sugar output in the third quarter of 2009 was recorded at 163,885 tonnes compared with 39,186 tonnes during the second quarter. "Estimates updated at the end of the quarter indicate that sugar production ... will close the year with production levels far from the first volumes planned for the year 2009," CEPAGRI said in a report obtained by Reuters.
It said sugar producers had made tremendous efforts to raise output by expanding production areas and factories and also improving processing capabilities, even though total national output would not reach planned levels. The data released by CEPAGRI showed that the Marromeu factory in central Mozambique produced 28,532 tonnes, Mafambisse, also in the central Sofala province produced 30,631 tonnes, while Xinavane in the southern region produced 37,167 tonnes and Maragra in the capital Maputo produced 67,555 tonnes.
CEPAGRI said the onset of the rains would further dampen plans to increase sugar production in Mozambique, which sells on the domestic market and exports to the European Union (EU). Mozambique's government has said it plans to help exporters break into new markets such as Egypt, the Seychelles and Indonesia in a bid to grow its agricultural base.