south african sugar association south african revenue service higgins mdluli sa canegrowers

Sugar imports crush SA growers as sales plunge 45,000 tonnes

SA Canegrowers said this is further eroding the local industry’s ability to recoup value from crushed and milled sugarcane – contributing to a projected price…

Reliability 59 · moderateLIVE5 min agoJuly 28, 2026

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Summary

SA Canegrowers said this is further eroding the local industry’s ability to recoup value from crushed and milled sugarcane – contributing to a projected price per ton that is more than 10% lower than last year at roughly R6,600 per ton as of July this year. Before the tariff framework weakened, domestic sugar sales for the same three-month period reached 428,422 tonnes, meaning nearly 175,000 tons of local market sales have been lost within a few seasons. Figures tracked by Sasa for the period April 1 to June 30 show local sales of 255,015 tonnes, a slump of more than 45,000 tonnes compared with 2025.

Furthermore, Citing data from the South African Revenue Service, it said 94,984 tonnes of sugar were imported between January and May compared with 55,213 tonnes over the same period in 2025. The nonprofit says the sugar industry supports more than 1-million livelihoods, most of them in rural KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga, where sugarcane farming is often the only source of stable income and economic activity for entire communities. SA Canegrowers chairperson Higgins Mdluli described the situation as a crisis for one of South Africa's most important agricultural industries. “Every ton of locally produced sugar displaced by an import is a direct hit to a grower’s income, a mill’s viability, and a rural community’s stability,” Mdluli said. “The scale of what we are seeing now is nothing short of a crisis.” The sugar industry lobby group said that the imports flooding South Africa’s market originate predominantly from countries like Brazil, India, and Thailand, where growers benefit from generous State subsidies and integrated ethanol regimes that effectively allow surplus sugar to be offloaded onto global markets at prices below what it costs South African growers to produce sugar.

Factual coreconfirmed by several independent voices

SA Canegrowers said this is further eroding the local industry’s ability to recoup value from crushed and milled sugarcane – contributing to a projected price per ton that is more than 10% lower than last year at roughly R6,600 per ton as of July this year.
reliability moderate2/2 sources
Before the tariff framework weakened, domestic sugar sales for the same three-month period reached 428,422 tonnes, meaning nearly 175,000 tons of local market sales have been lost within a few seasons.
reliability moderate2/2 sources
Figures tracked by Sasa for the period April 1 to June 30 show local sales of 255,015 tonnes, a slump of more than 45,000 tonnes compared with 2025.
reliability moderate2/2 sources
Citing data from the South African Revenue Service, it said 94,984 tonnes of sugar were imported between January and May compared with 55,213 tonnes over the same period in 2025.
reliability moderate2/2 sources
The nonprofit says the sugar industry supports more than 1-million livelihoods, most of them in rural KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga, where sugarcane farming is often the only source of stable income and economic activity for entire communities.
reliability moderate2/2 sources
SA Canegrowers chairperson Higgins Mdluli described the situation as a crisis for one of South Africa's most important agricultural industries. “Every ton of locally produced sugar displaced by an import is a direct hit to a grower’s income, a mill’s viability, and a rural community’s stability,” Mdluli said. “The scale of what we are seeing now is nothing short of a crisis.” The sugar industry lobby group said that the imports flooding South Africa’s market originate predominantly from countries like Brazil, India, and Thailand, where growers benefit from generous State subsidies and integrated ethanol regimes that effectively allow surplus sugar to be offloaded onto global markets at prices below what it costs South African growers to produce sugar.
reliability moderate2/2 sources

Reported detailssecondary facts, each attributed to its source

New figures released by SA Canegrowers show that sugar imports almost doubled during the first five months of 2026, intensifying pressure on local growers and millers already grappling with falling domestic sales and weaker prices.
according to IOL (Independent Online)
The sector has long called for higher tariffs to protect local cane growers, who it says lose more than R7,500 per tonne of cheap imports.
according to Business Day Live
Story audio is generated using AI The sugar industry has raised the alarm over a surge in imports threatening the survival of local producers, calling on trade, industry competition minister Parks Tau to urgently finalise the update to the tariff mechanism so it reflects market realities.
according to Business Day Live
The industry body said the surge highlights how South Africa's current tariff protection has failed to keep pace with developments in global sugar markets.
according to IOL (Independent Online)