Sugar industry targets diversification push as Phase 2 Master Plan signed

SOUTH Africa's sugar industry is set to accelerate efforts to diversify beyond traditional sugar production following the signing of Phase 2 of the Sugar Cane Value Chain Master Plan to 2030, with stakeholders placing innovation and new product development at the centre of the sector's future.

- YOGASHEN PILLAY

The agreement, signed in Durban under the oversight of Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Zuko Godlimpi, marks a renewed commitment by government, industry and labour to reposition the sector as a more dynamic and sustainable contributor to the economy.

Godlimpi stated that the second phase of the master plan signals a turning point for the industry, moving it away from a prolonged period of instability towards a more growth-oriented trajectory.

Central to this shift is a strong focus on diversification, particularly into higher-value products such as biofuels and other industrial outputs derived from sugarcane.