South Africa's complex sugar sector

South Africa’s sugar industry is fraught with various complexities, the majority of which can be monitored more effectively with the correct technology and processes in place, says Gavin Halse, Director of Product Strategy at Adapt IT. Halse says the industry is characterised by low cost producers, commodity cycles, operation in remote areas and cross-borders, and unpredictable weather patterns, and hence presents some unique IT challenges in the areas of loss and quality.

“As with any vertical industry, understanding the specific challenges of the environment is vital,” says Halse. “Adapt IT started life as a service provider to the sugar industry over 15 years ago, and from there we’ve grown to become a provider of specialised information technology solutions to sugar producers worldwide.”

Halse recognises that sugar producers across Africa are looking to diversify and improve their overall margins through the creation of value-added downstream products from raw sugar production. One such product example is ethanol, and Halse says a reliable robust technology solution is essential to manage this process. The sector has risen well to environmental challenges, including co-generation of electricity and the sustainable production of ethanol says Halse. Safety improvement projects are now necessary to holistically address the SHE-Q prerogative.

A specific challenge to the sugar industry is the management of land and farms, with payments to farmers based on quality and reliable supply of raw materials. This process requires specialised payment systems as well as the measurement of raw materials through weighbridge and sampling. The weighbridge has long been an area of concern when it comes to losses, often due to inaccurate measurements and pilferage. “As part of the weighbridge solution, stringent security systems should ensure accurate weighing procedures, while a transparent audit trail is generated through a database ensuring analyses of the recorded data.”

Halse says technology can also significantly assist producers with operations in remote areas and multiple countries, with staff speaking different languages and with differing skill levels. “Adapt IT has focused for many years on this important sector, and it has become one of our key competitive differentiators in a crowded IT sector.”

source: itweb