The wholesale price of sugar in Kenya continues spiralling, signalling a further rise in shelf prices for consumers who have already been paying more for the sweetener in the past months.
The wholesale price of sugar for a 50-kilogram bag has increased to between 6500-8000 shillings across the country.
A spot check by Khusoko across the country shows that a 50kg Kabras Sugar brand is now retailing at an average of 7000 shillings in Nairobi, Mombasa, and Kakamega counties.
The exact quantity of Kabras sugar retailed for up to 8000 shillings in Kisumu County.
Prices of 2-kilogram packets of sugar
Consequently, a 2-kilogram packet of Kabras Sugar brand is retailing at an average of 170 shillings in Nairobi, Kisumu, and Mombasa. The same brand of sugar is retailing for 350 shillings in Kakamega County, up from 220 shillings in January 2022.
Ndhiwa Sugar brand is sold at an average of 160 shillings per kilo and 340 shillings, up from 240 shillings about a year ago. A 2-kilogram packet of Kabras sugar retails at 315 shillings at Carrefour supermarket.
A 2Kg packet of Nutrameal and Naivas local sugar costs 312 shillings, while a kilo of both brands is sold at 157 shillings at Naivas Supermarket.
The cost of 50kg and 2Kg of sugar has increased by over 3000 and 100 shillings in the last three years. In just five years, the price has risen by almost 56 per cent.
Sugar Production Dip
The country’s sugar production in August dipped 34 per cent compared to the previous month, attributed to immature canes.
A two-kilo of sugar rose by 12 shillings to sell at 300 shilling in September 2022.
Kenya cut sugar imports by nearly half in June 2022 compared with the previous month, as cane production jumped 11 per cent in the review period.
Data from the Sugar Directorate shows sugar imports were slashed by 49 per cent to 17,231 in May, down from 33,650 a month earlier.
The regulator says sugarcane production jumped 11 per cent to 70,300 tons in June, the highest recorded since January.
The factory price for sugar in July 2022 eased to 5,199 shillings compared with 5,261 shillings recorded in June, highlighting the impact of increased production locally and the scaling up of imports in the previous months.
To bridge the annual local deficit, Kenya can import up to 350,000 tons of sugar from the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) countries.
Nairobians at Pain as 2Kg Packets of Sugar Retail at Ksh 350
