Kenyans can breathe a sigh of relief after sugar prices dropped for the first time in two months.
According to data from the Sugar Directorate, the cost of a kilogramme of the sweetener retailed at an average of KSh 224 in August, up from KSh 229 in the previous month.
The Sugar Directorate indicated wholesale prices declined from an average of KSh 10,369 in July to KSh 9,624 for a 50kg bag.
This followed increased duty-free imports, which rose by 111% from 27,179 tonnes to 57,250 tonnes.
“Retail sugar prices in August 2023 averaged KSh 224 per kilo, down from KSh 229 per kilo in July. Sugar imports in August totalled 57,250 MT, 111% up from 27,179 MT last month. The imports comprised 47,904 MT table sugar and 9,346 MT white refined sugar,” the report stated.
During the same period, sugar cane prices ranged between KSh 5,300 and KSh 6,086 per tonne, with an average price of Ksh 5,684 per tonne, slightly increasing from KSh 5,445 per tonne in July.
At the same time, all factories’ total closing stocks of sugar at the end of August 2023 dropped to 4,168 MT from 7,051 MT in July.
Before the government allowed duty-free imports, the cost of the sweetener had risen to over KSh 500 per kilo after it halted the local sugarcane milling in Western Kenya.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Authority issued directives to local sugar millers to suspend operations until November 2023.
The move aimed at allowing sugarcane planted in the Western part of Kenya to mature took effect from Friday, July 14.
