Kenya sugar output at a record in 2009

Kenya's sugar output rose by 5 per cent to 548,207 tonnes in 2009 and imports were down 16 per cent to 184,530 tonnes, the industry regulator said on Tuesday.

"This is the highest production ever achieved in the sugar industry," the Kenya Sugar Board said in an annual statistics report. Mumias Sugar produced 45.3 per cent of the total sugar.

Although the east African nation has a deal with the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) trade bloc to restrict imports from the bloc to 200,000 tonnes per year to protect its industry, members supplied only 40 per cent.

The main supplier of sugar was Saudi Arabia with 47,479 tonnes, followed by South Africa with 46,584 tonnes.

The sugar board said global consumption was outpacing production.

Kenya's sugar consumption is estimated at some 750,000 tonnes in 2009.

source: dailynation