The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Cameroon’s Sugar Producing Company (SOSUCAM), Louis Yinda, has told Cameroonians not to panic as there is enough quantity of the basic commodity. Some 27,000 tonnes of sugar are available in the Mbanjock and Nkoteng, in the Centre Region, Louis Yinda told journalists on February 9 during a guided visit to the sugar cane farms, factory and warehouses.
Some 10,000 and 17, 000 tonnes of sugar are available in the Mbanjock and Nkoteng warehouses respectively. The Director of Marketing, Jean François Ntsama revealed that the company intends to open another warehouse by the end of the year. Under the purview of Louis Yinda, the press was shown round over 1,700 hectares of land for extension farms offered the company in 2006 by government. With a production capacity of 120,000 tonnes of sugar in 2012, the CEO sounded optimistic at providing the country with sugar without fear of any scarcity but said the company intends to increase production to 165,000 tonnes by 2017, thanks to the putting into use of the extension farms. Spread over 22, 481 hectares of land, Louis Yinda said the major challenge of the company was the counterfeiting of its produce. However, demand per year stands at over 200,000 tonnes.
Though the company is hoping to produce over 40,000 tonnes by May this year, at the end of the peak season, plans are underway to fully satisfy Cameroonians with sugar, said the Deputy Managing Director, Ranson Guilllaume. He said the five-year development plan entails improving yields in existing farms. “We do not cover 100 per cent of the Cameroonian market yet, but it is clear we will do it in the near future and even meet some needs of the CEMAC Sub-region,” Ranson Guillaumme said. He however challenged all employees to be dedicated so that the company can improve output.
After debriefing the press in the farms, the SOSUCAM boss led the group to the sugar factory where the processing of sugar from the cutting of the canes to manufacturing and parcelling take place. The company’s staff strength stands at 7,000.
