Gledhows’s cane crushing season opens on a sweet note
General manager Andrew Francis said they expect to crush 1.45 million tons of sugar over the season and produce about 160 000 tons of refined sugar - an increase from last year's 1.3 million tonnes crushed.
Despite the myriad of challenges facing the sugar industry, Gledhow sugar mill in Stanger began its cane crushing season on a positive note last week.
The mill celebrated the start of their 2020/21 season with their traditional multi-faith religious ceremony on Wednesday morning, March 4.
General manager Andrew Francis said they expect to crush 1.45 million tons of sugar over the season and produce about 160 000 tons of refined sugar – an increase from last year’s 1.3 million tonnes crushed.
Francis was also positive that this year’s recovery value (RV) price paid to sugarcane farmers had increased from last year’s low providing relief for farmers and refiners after an extended market slump.
For the 365 small-scale cane growers from the nearby farmlands delivering truckloads of cane to the mill, sugarcane is a key livelihood resource to the region providing employment and income.
The mill gets sugar cane from farms from Upper Tongaat in the south, Amatikulu in the north, Glendale Valley and the Doringkop areas inland.
The bulk of the cane being produced is within about a 30 km radius of the mill. The furthest cane is from Kranskop (65 km).
The mill has a refinery section and produces white and brown sugar for direct delivery to wholesalers and retailers across the province.
During the crushing season the mill operates 24 hours per day, employing about 500 employees.
The season ends mid-November.
“The current sugar industry economics are very tough and Gledhow is not spared from this. We are weathering the storm and have a number of strategies underway to diversify the revenue streams and reduce the costbase to return us to decent profits,” said Francis.
Last Wednesday KZN Premier Sihle Zikalala said in his State of the Province address a “master plan” was being finalised that would ensure a revitalised sugar industry.
Zikalala said government would also seek effective protection against cheap imports and the dumping of sugar.
Download The North Coast Courier mobile app, now available free from the Apple iStore and on Google Play, for IOS and Android phones.
Stay in the loop with The North Coast Courier on Facebook, X, Instagram & YouTube for the latest news.
Mobile users can join our WhatsApp Broadcast Service here, or if you’re on desktop, scan the QR code below.
