UGANDASugar output misses forecast

Uganda’s raw sugar output fell short of forecast by 11.4 percent in 2012, hurt by cane poaching and poor weather that forced a major producer to briefly halt production, an industry official said yesterday. Jim Kabeho, the chairman of the Uganda Sugar Cane Technologists Association, said Uganda produced 289 665 tons of raw sugar last year. “The two biggest setbacks [were] firstly, extensive cane poaching by small producers who harvest immature cane, which results in low sugar recovery rates,” Kabeho said. “Secondly, there was drought.” – Reuters