MOROGORO: Tanzania is seeking to attract more domestic and foreign investment into its sugar industry as it moves to reduce reliance on imports and close a persistent supply gap.
Investment Minister Professor Kitila Mkumbo said annual national demand stands at about 700,000 tonnes, with local production falling short in recent years, leading to periodic shortages and price volatility.
Speaking during a visit to large-scale sugarcane developments in Mkulazi village, Morogoro region, Mkumbo said expanding output was central to food security, industrial growth and broader economic ambitions.
“The arrival of new investors will significantly narrow the existing supply gap,” he said, adding that the government was working to provide a stable policy environment for private capital.
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Tanzania’s Development Vision 2050 targets positioning the country among Africa’s top food producers, with the private sector expected to drive the majority of projected economic output.
Across East and Southern Africa, governments have been promoting investment in agro-processing industries to reduce import bills, strengthen rural incomes and build resilience against global commodity price swings.
Mkumbo is expected to meet additional sugar producers in Morogoro, one of Tanzania’s main sugar-growing regions, as authorities push to scale up cultivation and processing capacity in the coming years.
