The production record of Kenya’s sugar industry in last year, with factory output rising by six per cent compared to 2014.

Data from the Kenya Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) shows that production hit 632,000 tonnes from 592,000 tonnes the previous year, making it the highest production in Kenya’s sugar history.

At the same time, sugar imports grew by 29 per cent in the same period as high demand for industrial sweeteners pushed up the volumes of the product.

According to statistics from the Agriculture Fisheries and Food Authority (Affa), industrial sugar imports grew by 14 per cent to 147,000 tonnes in 2015 from 129,000 the previous year.

Head of Sugar Directorate Andrew Osodo said high production was as a result of investments in the sector.

“We have carried out massive investments in the sugar sector in Kenya to spur productivity and this is one of the reasons there has been a significant growth in production,” said Mr Osodo.

He said the directorate had developed early maturing sugarcane that now takes less time to mature (12 months) as well as offering sugar millers loans at affordable rates to supply farm inputs to producers.

Kenya does not produce industrial sugar and relies on imports to meet demand, with the figure standing at over 100,000 tonnes in the past five years.

Industrial sugar is used in manufacturing of beverages such as soft drinks, confectioneries and chocolates.

East African ministers last year licensed 17 more Kenyan firms to import 117,500 tonnes of industrial sugar under preferential terms, running up to August this year, in the wake of rising demand for beverages and confectioneries.

In April 2015, other local firms were granted permission to import 30,500 tonnes of the sweetener under preferential terms over a one year period.

The biggest beneficiaries were  Kenafric Industries, Nairobi Bottlers and Kenya Breweries, who were allowed to ship in 29,000, 26,000 and 20,000 tonnes of industrial sugar respectively.