The SA Canegrowers Association is pleased that the Trade and Industry Portfolio Committee has responded to our call for an urgent meeting on the crisis in the sugar industry.
 
The meeting is due to take place tomorrow, Tuesday 26 February.
 
We sent a letter to Committee Chairperson Joan Fubbes on 14 February in which we outlined the dire situation that canegrowers – including small-scale growers, land reform farmers and farmworkers find themselves in.
 
This detailed the impact of the severe drought in KwaZulu-Natal, plunging sugar prices, weak protection against cheap imports and the sugar tax implemented in April last year.
 
All of these factors, taken together, are a clear and present danger to the sustainability of the sugar industry which provides employment to 350 000 people.
 
Since our request for a meeting, the Minister of Finance has announced a 5,2% increase on the sugar tax. This tax hike, in itself, could cause up to 10 000 job losses in the sugar industry.
 
We are glad that the Portfolio Committee has agreed to meet with us, and to hear our concerns. The crisis in the sugar industry was always too important to be left until after the elections.
 
We are looking forward to engaging constructively with the Portfolio Committee and to finding solutions to the crisis we face.

Issued by The SA Canegrowers Association