SAP, ALTTAB partner to tackle Kenya’s sugar industry

Software solutions provider SAP and ALTTAB Solutions Limited are working together to bring their global experience to bear on the local sugar industry at an event hosted in Kisumu City, Kenya, on 17 June.

The event, which brought together stakeholders in Kenya’s sugar industry, highlighted solutions to the problems that are stalking the sector. Presenters, including Patrick Kisanya, SAP SME Solution Manager in Africa and Betty Olweny, Solution Manager, SAP East Africa, outlined strategies to develop faster, more agile operations, allowing everyone in the value chain to achieve their objectives of profitability and competitiveness.

ALTTAB’s CEO, Alfred Onyango, was on hand to demonstrate the SAP enterprise resource planning and customer relationship management systems that have allowed the company to streamline the processes of their client, New Kenya Cooperatives Creameries, Kenya’s largest milk producer.

Although Kenya’s sugar industry has been plagued by problems in recent years, it is showing signs of recovery. Overall cane production has increased, and the country has the potential to soon begin producing massive sugar exports.

Speaking after the event, Serah Wachira-Njeru, SAP Territory Manager in East Africa, highlighted SAP’s commitment to empowering the industry. “SAP is in the unique position of being able to provide an end-to-end enterprise resource planning system that can be adapted to suit the needs of farmers, manufacturers and sales teams.

“We have a proven record in Kenya, having already successfully partnered with Kenya’s largest sugar producer, Mumias Sugar. We look forward to extending our work in Kenya and seeing the country‘s sugar industry reach its full potential.”

Statistics show that Kenya’s demand for sugar is higher than supply, leaving a gap for more investment in the sector.

Sugarcane is grown on the fairly flat regions in Western, Nyanza and Coast provinces. About 85% of the total cane supply is from small scale growers whilst the remaining is from nucleus estates of the sugar factories.

Kenya has seven major factories with an annual production capacity of between 550,000 and 600,000 tonnes of sugar. By-products from the factories include molasses (mostly for alcohol production), baggase (for power generation) and filter press mart (for fertiliser).

source: itnewsafrica