Dangote Sugar urges more assistance to sugarcane farmers

While commending governments at various levels for their continued assistance to sugarcane farmers, which has brought revolution in Nigeria’s sweetening industry, Dangote Sugar has urged for more assistance from them and private sector to ensure that the country’s dream of being in the world sugar map is realised.

“The Sugar Master Plan, Backward Integration Policy and all incentives are commendable. I think the current drive in Nigeria to encourage investments in agriculture should be taken in depth to support Nigerian farmers, because they have the ability to grow sugarcane and bring back the benefits,’’ Graham Clark, group managing director, Dangote Sugar Refinery plc, told Real Sector Watch in an exclusive interview in Lagos.

“I think there should be support for smaller- and medium-sized farmers to reduce costs. It can come in the form of management training, fertilisers and other incentives,’’ Graham said.

Prior to the BIP introduced by the Federal Government, Nigeria’s sugarcane farmers incurred a lot of wastes as their produce was often wasted owing to poor research and development (R&D), lack of incentives and lack of market. But this has all changed, according to Graham, as his firm assists farmers up north by way of technical input, fertiliser procurement and equipment maintenance. The company also guarantees them ready-market.

Graham said that sugar was the primary source of carbohydrate in the daily diet, adding that the plan of the company was to put Nigeria in the world sugar map, having already achieved 1.44 million metric tons per annum (mtpa), with a plan to extend capacity to between 1.5 million mtpa to 2 million mtpa.