Sugar production between January and July increased by 15% when compared with a similar period last year, compelling the sector regulator to cut imports by nearly half last month.
Data from the Sugar Directorate shows that the volume of the commodity produced hit 480,849 tonnes in the review period, up from 418,799 during the same period last year.
The increase saw the directorate limit the imports in July to 9,394 tonnes from a high of 17,200 tonnes a month earlier, representing a 46% decline.
Data from the regulator shows imports were slashed by 49 percent in June to 17,231 tonnes from 33,650 tonnes in May.
The regulator says sugar production fell slightly in July to 70,728 tonnes from 70,376 tonnes in June which is the highest so far this year.
As Business Daily reports, the increase in production saw a marginal decline in ex-factory prices of the commodity with a 50-kilo bag selling for KSh5,158 from KSh5,199 a month earlier.
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