The South African Canegrowers Association (SA Canegrowers) welcomes financing grants to small-scale cane growers by the South African Sugar Association (SASA)

The South African Canegrowers Association (SA Canegrowers) has welcomed the recent disbursement of R225-million to black and/or small-scale cane growers by the South African Sugar Association (SASA). This speaks to commitments in the Sugar Cane Value Chain Masterplan. The funding, of which canegrowers contributed 64%, was allocated across two grower support programmes – one granting funding for black growers delivering under 1 800 t/y of cane and the second for those who deliver more than 1 800 t/y of cane. In particular, R60-million worth of grant funding was apportioned between small-scale growers, including those on communal land and freehold land delivering less than 1 800 t/y of cane. SA Canegrowers says cane growers have had to survive not only the widespread cane arson that took place during the July 2021 civil unrest, but also costs incurred to combat the Covid-19 pandemic, the continued implementation of the Health Promotion Levy, declining milling capacity which means ...