As consumers continue to face rising sugar prices and empty shelves, Illovo Sugar (Malawi) plc is pointing to cross-border smuggling and weather-related production delays as the main causes of the worsening sugar shortage across the country.
While dismissing a fake notice circulating online that falsely claims the company has temporarily reduced its sugar production, the company insists the scarcity is not due to a lack of supply from its side but rather external forces disrupting the market.
Illovo accused local traders of diverting large volumes of sugar into neighbouring countries through informal trade channels. This smuggling, the company says, is undermining the domestic availability of the commodity.
“The current challenges in the availability of sugar are primarily being driven by informal cross-border trade,” the company stated. “This has created a shortage in some areas of the local market, despite Illovo having released sufficient stocks to meet domestic demand.”
Alongside this, Illovo cited production delays caused by ongoing adverse weather conditions. The company’s two major estates—Nchalo and Dwangwa—have been unable to start the 2025 crushing season on time due to unexpected rains. These rains have made cane fields inaccessible and significantly slowed harvesting operations.
“Production is yet to reach full capacity,” Illovo said. “We expect this to improve as weather conditions stabilise and field operations normalize in the next couple of weeks.”
Illovo stressed that it is working closely with stakeholders to manage the crisis and restore a stable supply of sugar.
