European Union funds sugar production training in Mozambique

Maputo, Mozambique, – Around 1,300 rural workers from the Xinavane area of Maputo province, Mozambique’s biggest sugar production area, are to receive training on fertilisers and new equipment for production and marketing paid for by the European Union (EU).

Rosário Cumbe, the managing director of sugar company Açucareira de Xinavane and chairman of the National Association of Sugar Producers said that the training would be provided using a 6 million-euro fund from the European Union aimed at supporting the modernisation of the sector.

Cumbe said that Mozambique was waiting for the second “tranche” of the fund in order to continue with the activities to restructure the sugar sector in Mozambique.

Most of Mozambique’s sugar production is exported to Europe as part of the agreement between the European Union and the Group of African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries.

Mozambique is this year expected to export 203,000 tons of sugar that is expected to generate estimated revenues of over US$91 million. In 2012 sugar exports are projected to provide revenues of around US$117 million.

By 2015 the industry plans to achieve total production of over 300,000 tons of sugar exports and potential revenues of US$130 million a year.

source: macauhub