Sugar Prices Remain High In Remote Areas Of Mulanje

As Illovo Sugar Company limited ensures that the supply of sugar is in large quantities in the country, some of the rural shops in the nation are selling sugar at a higher price.

A spot check conducted by faceofmalawi reporter in Mulanje, some areas such as Namphungo, Chikaonda and Makande, the price of sugar is still high despite price reduction by the manufacturer.

Mayamiko Bamusi, shop owner at Chikaonda trading centre said he cannot reduce the prices of sugar in his shop because he ordered the bale when sugar was very expensive and scarce in the country.

“I know that Illovo has now supplied the country with many bales of sugar compared to low quantities few weeks ago but it was very late when they were supplying enough sugar on the market because by time the company was supplying sugar i already ordered the bales at a high cost, so I do not see any reason for price reduction,” Bamusi said.

He added that the reduction of the price in his shop will be revised next trip as he will order at a normal price as he was doing in the past.

Juliet Jemusi from Makande community said, the price-hike of sugar in the community is giving her headache since she find it difficult to buy the whole packet of sugar as she used to in the past.

“Few months ago i was managing to buy the packet of sugar because it was around K850 to K900 but now i cannot buy a packet of sugar at K1500 since i do not have enough money to buy, see this world favors those who have money, what can we do?” she said.

She added that out of 8 members in her family, the packet of sugar lasts for 5 to 6 days as such, she has stopped using sugar at her house.

“We have stopped using sugar in our porridge for now up until things gets normal, I do not know when but I have hope that one day things will be fine,” Jemusi said.

Illovo has put a bale of sugar at K17, 000 in big shopping centres like Chipiku Stores and others, people in the village expect the min-shop owners to sell a packet at around K850 to K950 at a retail price.