Brown sugar shortage hits the North

Consumers in some parts of the Northern Region are experiencing a shortage of brown sugar which is supplied from the Nkhotakota-based Dwangwa Factory of Illovo Sugar (Malawi) Limited.

In a snap survey conducted in the region, most shops were found stocking white sugar with only a few having smaller 220 grammes of brown sugar packets.
As of Wednesday, most customers seen in Shoprite in Mzuzu voiced their dissatisfaction, saying they prefer brown sugar to the white one.

In a written response to a questionnaire, Illovo Sugar (Malawi) Limited spokesperson Ireen Phalula said the company has more stocks of white sugar.
She said: “Having just finished the 2016/17 milling season, we are remaining with relatively high stocks of premium white sugar with which we are actively engaging our customers and distributors to ensure that it is available across the country.”

Phalula added that the Dwangwa mill, which supplies the Northern Region and parts of the Central Region, is yet to commence production during the second week of April after an off crop period from November last year.

Illovo Sugar (Malawi), listed on the Malawi Stock Exchange, has two mills, one in Dwangwa and the other at Nchalo in Chikwawa.