A cross section of Mumbwa residents have resorted to using 'Sweet Aid' Juice powder sachets as sweeteners, as alternatives to cope with the reported 100 per cent increase in sugar prices.
A survey conducted over the past week found that many hoseholds had found it cheaper to use 'Sweet Aid' sachets in tea and porridge, owing to the sugar price hikes, in which a 1Kg packet rose to K8,000 or K9,000 from K4,000, whilst the 2Kg packet went up to K18,000or K20,000.
Humphrey Chiminda, a retailer based in 'Kwa Phiri' Compound, confirmed that he had recorded a high turnover of 'Sweet Aid' over the past few days, and had consequently increased his 'Sweet Aid' prices from K300 to K500.
A consumer, Namakau Nawa, complained that the price increases had impacted negatively on the feeding of babies, especially for porridge, and that there was no alternative but to use 'Sweet Aid' or honey.
Several people from within the hospitality industry also admitted that the new increases had unsettled their operations, and had forced them to adjust cetain prices of merchandise.
Manager for La Hacienda Hotel, Sylvester Muzyamba, disclosed that the hotel was faced with a tough decision to make, in which prices of confectionary goods would have to be adjusted if sugar prices continued to be high.
And proprietor of Classic Restaurant, Carol Walusiku, lamented that she had no alternative but to increase the prices of beverages, such as tea and coffee, and that these were the merchandise from which she counted on for frequent turnover.
Sugar prices reportedly went up by at least 100 per cent at retail value recently, provoking some reaction from consumers and retailers alike.
Highest Fuel prices, highest Electricity prices, highest accommodation prices, Highest Black out Rates: NOW highest SUGAR prices in Africa. Where are we headed to as a country?
Yet the same Zambia Sugar is busy blocking imported sugar from Malawi and Zimbabwe on the pretext of fortification… Shameless Greedy fellas at Zamsugar!!! u dont care about the poor, you only care about enriching your selves…
This monopoly should be stopped shame ZAMSugar Shame they should be checked before they frustrate govt efforts for its foreign investment policy. This shame shame.
Ukutemwa ifyalowa!
Sugar is not your friend. Avoid it and feel better right away. You will feel fewer mood swings.Lets stop driving sugar into a necessity esp for folks that are on a limited budget.Your numbers on a scale will go down as will your dental “bills”. Adding pounded nuts to your porridge esp for kids is more nutritious and cheaper. Forget the Tea and Bread!! Go for cheaper and more nutritious alternatives!
I haven’t been following the sugar price story, whatever happened to Kafue Sugar? And why has the price gone up by 100%? Anyway, my budget would hardly be affected because I only use 1 kg of sugar every three months! There is plenty of honey in the country, it is time to start serious processing and urge people to use it as an alternative. Businessmen, do you ‘smell’ the opportunity here?
Sugar. Sweet in the mouth, bitter in the wallet.
Yea u right guyz, i think its time i switched to Honey, i have tried it before and its fine.
This is why i have reached this far in age – 90 yrs plus, strict diet. My young bro KK is coming up well also bcoz of a stricter diet too, 84 yrs plus, good for a black fella.
rgds…
Sandton City
Jo’Burg
SA
Is it that Zambian government has failed to see the rip-offs going on or is it it is waiting for a wave of stone-throwing to begin before it realizes that people are being ripped off? K18,000.00 for a 2Kg packet of Sugar is equivalent to US$5.20. This is far from truth. Even in countries where Sugar is imported this is not the price.
Mr LPM, SC & President of Zambia, let us not be forced to resorting to barbaric way of resolving problems when you can avoid it. All of us Zambians have condenmed UNZA students regarding their actions, and yet, when people talk government does not listen. Remember 1999, it is not yet too far to have our memmories blackened. Do something or else PLEASE!!!
Illovo Sugar is SouthAfrican. lets beat them up thru xenophobic attacks.They came here to reap where they did no sow. Illovo shud pack together with Game, Shoprite, Omnia, ellerines, MTN, Vodacom, multichoice to mention but a few. In SA our fellow zambians are being ill-treated. Why cant we?
Just pond sweets and you will have sugar or sweetener.
i conquer to what number one has said,i also dont know where this country is heading to,bus fairs have incresed tremndously in the past 10yrs,the cost of living is becoming unbearable and now a family of six has to live on almost two million kwacha despite looking at school fees and other external costs of the family,even if there are claims that the economy is getting better,to me its becoming worse,actually unbearable.
mr.mwanawasa and his degree holder ministers are not doing anything besides chewing tax payers money.
Please mwe ntungulushi twapapata bweshi umutengo wa sugar yali lowesha.
The govt has been subsidizing the Sugar expansion program in Mazabuka, yet there’s absolutely no benefit to the Zambian people. The EU recently pumped in 6 million Euros to ensure all the sugar went to Europe. The 100% increase is to curtail the local market to enable the sugar coy concentrate on exports for the EU market. Our own govt cannot stand up to defend people’s economic rights against this manipulation by the EU and other foreign interests in Nakambala Sugar.We are doomed as a country because we are not nationalists.Our govt is fast auctioning this country to foreign interests at the expense of ordinary citizens who are fast turning into worse than slaves.Shame!!
ba nyandule ba yamba ku sobelela kuli sugar manje
The other time we discussed the subsistance farmers in Choma resorting to sugar cane platnting and some owns said there’s no need!!now we see the need right!!banyandule…..
Every thing is costly in zambia, for that price, for sugar is too much. Let our company nakambala produce more and the number for farmers of sugar cane increases too otherwise we shall continue suffering.
Every thing is expensive in zambia because our kwacha is without ngwees. I would love to see again our ngwees on the market and some of the commodities should cost in ngwees.
Good riddance to a bad habit ! Don’t get me wrong the body needs sugar if it is to function properly.When blood sugar levels are low one feels weak, has a headache may be confused and may have a seizure then slip into coma or die.Yes it needs sugar but not the refined sugar whose price has gotten us so stressed.What the body prefers is complex sugars and these can be found in most organic foods.If we boycot refined sugar this may drive the price down.Its a win win situation We would all be healthier people.