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Sugar Growers, Millers and Refiners

Company leads in advancing sugar technology

29th March 2019 Offering a comprehensive service globally, with over 55 years of experience in the sugar sector, multidisciplinary engineering company Bosch Projects has recently developed the Lamella Clarifier, which uses a series of inclined plates for fast, effective particle separation and settling. “Our... →

Company provides solutions to enhance production in sugar sector

29th March 2019 Technical solutions provider BMG works closely with chief engineers in the sugar industry, providing engineering solutions and technical services, to enhance production efficiencies at every mill and refinery. “The company’s extensive range of quality branded components, engineering solutions and... →

HEAVY DUTY COUPLINGS The Timken Quick-Flex and Vulkan GBN heavy industrial couplings are designed for efficient performance, low maintenance and extended service life

Trade and Industry committee attends to industry challenges

29th March 2019 Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry is well aware that the South African sugar industry is experiencing various challenges as it has been engaging the industry for over a year to alleviate the plight of local sugarcane farmers. Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry... →

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LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS The committee acknowledges that factors such as bio-fuels and cogeneration may require legislative changes

Industry asks government to intervene in crisis

By: Khutso Maphatsoe 29th March 2019 The sugar industry has called on government to act immediately to prevent the industry’s collapse, as the industry has lost R1.3-billion in only one season since the implementation of the sugar tax in April last year. South African Canegrowers’ Association chairperson Graeme Stainbank says... →

GRAEME STAINBANK The South African Canegrowers’ Association believes that government should acknowledge the damage that a sugar tax has had on the economy and the sugar industry

Commitment to transform rural communities

29th March 2019 Sugar producer llovo Sugar South Africa (Illovo SA) is firmly committed to transformation and building sustainable enterprises, especially in rural communities where it operates, says Illovo Sugar SA MD Mamongae Mahlare. “In the 2017 financial year, Illovo SA’s total economic impact on the local... →

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SHARING THE SWEETNESS Illovo Sugar South Africa makes an economic impact working with small retailers who sell its products within South Africa

Kilombero Sugar Company relinquishes land to create forest reserve

29th March 2019 Following the declaration to establish the Magombera Nature Forest Reserve sugar company Kilombero on whose land part of the reserve has been established, extends its appreciation to the government of Tanzania and the many other stakeholders involved in this successful outcome. The Magombera... →

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PRESERVING NATURE Local communities, representatives of the Tanzania government and the TFCG decided that the Magombera Forest be declared a nature forest reserve

Vibrating equipment ensures effective sugar processing

29th March 2019 Owing to its large footprint in KwaZulu-Natal, vibration-equipment manufacturer Vipro Vibrating Products caters to the front-end, back-end and packing processes in the sugar processing plant. The front-end comprises the receiving and processing of raw material, the back-end the extraction of... →

PIETER UYS The vibrating equipment is made out of stainless steel, which decreases the chances of the sugar being contaminated

New tech helps mills improve factory control

By: Khutso Maphatsoe 29th March 2019 During this year’s sugar season, centralised scientific organisation Sugar Milling Research Institute NPC (SMRI) says South African sugar mills will use its Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) analytical system to improve their sugar production and profits. Through the SMRI-NIRS system installed at... →

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NEW TECHNOLOGY Sugar mills can use the SMRI-NIRS system to obtain information that can help to better understand and control factory processes

Welding Alloys South Africa

29th March 2019 Crushing hammers, cane knives, washboards, shredders, trash plates and mill roll arcing are a few areas within a sugar mill that experience significant wear. In most cases, demand on throughput outweighs the need to do regular and ongoing maintenance. It is vital to extract the most value out of... →

Local sugar industry struggles to stay afloat

By: Paige Müller 7th December 2018 The survival and sustainability of the labour intensive sugar industry is under severe threat owing to the flood of sugar imports and the resultant inability by industry bodies to recover costs, according to South African Sugar Association executive director Trix Trikam. “The local sugar industry... →

UNBALANCED TRADE The world sugar market is distorted by producer country incentives, resulting in production that is surplus to demand

Delays in biofuel framework hinder industry

By: Paige Müller 7th December 2018 Despite the local sugar industry championing a bioethanol fuel subsidy as a potential method to relieve the burden on sugar through demand diversification, Ethanol Producers Association of Southern Africa secretary, Alf Stevens, suggests that this may not have the timely impact that the local... →

Photo by Bloomberg
SLOW PROGRESS Even if the Biofuels Regulatory Framework is attractive, the first ethanol for biofuel would only reach the petrol blenders by the end of 2021 at the earliest

Partnership for land tenure rights mutually beneficial

By: Paige Müller 7th December 2018 Sugar producer Illovo Sugar Africa has been partnering nongovernmental organizations, governments and global donors to transform the landscape of tenure rights in its operating countries, says Illovo Sugar Africa Group MD Gavin Dalgleish. “Africa has the highest proportion of agricultural land... →

Photo by Bloomberg
WOMEN IN SUGAR More than 65% of those who have benefited from the Illovo Maragra plantation partnership to date have been women

Welding Alloys South Africa

7th December 2018 Crushing hammers, cane knives, washboards, shredders, trash plates and mill roll arcing are a few areas within a sugar mill that experience significant wear. In most cases, demand on throughput outweighs the need to do regular and ongoing maintenance. It is vital to extract the most value out of... →

OLI South Africa

7th December 2018 OLI is the first choice in the supply and distribution of electric and pneumatic industrial vibrators and flow aids, as well as frequency convertors and vibrators used in the concrete industry. Making business simpler for customers while supplying world-class products has established OLI as a... →

Sugar dumping remains a crisis for industry

By: Paige Müller 7th December 2018 While national government has shown a willingness to protect the sugar industry against corrosive trade-dumping practices, nonprofit anti-dumping organisation FairPlay founder Francois Baird emphasises that government’s ineffective administrative processes have made its previous attempts at... →

Anti-dumping organisation FairPlay’s Lebogang Chaka discusses the impact of sugar dumping on the local industry. Camerawork and Editing: Nicholas Boyd

Short retention time silo installed in Thailand

30th March 2018 A recent milestone for project manager and equipment designer Bosch Projects, in conjunction with its technology partners in Thailand, was the development of a new short retention time (SRT) refined sugar conditioning silo, designed to significantly reduce conditioning time and capital investment... →

NEW TECHNOLOGY The newly developed short retention time refined sugar conditioning silo enables reduced residence time of 16 hours, compared with the standard period of between 65 and 72 hours

Polymer offering diversified into US beet sugar industry

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 30th March 2018 Thermoplastic producer Vesconite Bearings is expanding its polymer offering to the US beet sugar market, building on its experiences and success in the local and US sugar cane industries. Vesconite Bearings began supplying its locally-produced polymers to the South African sugar industry in 2009... →

PROCESS SWEETENER The HiTemp 150 hanger bearing is an abrasive-resistant material, ideal for applications that are wearing on traditional materials such as bronze

Insufficient tariff requires urgent intervention

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 30th March 2018 The current sugar import tariff of South Africa is insufficient to regulate imports, which makes it imperative that the tariff be increased, says South African Sugar Association (Sasa) executive director Trix Trikam. “There are various systems to implement tariffs, with South Africa employing a... →

PROBLEMATIC The Health Promotion Levy currently being pursued will have an adverse effect on the local sugar market

Battling threat of sugar tax, excessive imports and low price

By: Victor Moolman 8th December 2017 The large amount of sugar being imported into South Africa has caused the country’s sugar industry, which may soon be further compromised by the introduction of a sugar tax, to start exporting sugar at world market prices to offload excess sugar, which it is unable to sell locally. While opposing... →

Photo by Victor Moolman
DEDICATED TO SUGAR CANE Large parts of KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga, about 360 000 ha, are dedicated to growing sugar cane

Strand jacks an effective option for sugar mills

By: Robyn Wilkinson 12th April 2017 Machine moving and rigging specialist Lovemore Bros is adding four 70 t strand jacks to its service offering, providing an effective heavy-lifting alternative to conventional cranes for many industries, including the sugar industry. →

EFFECTIVE USE OF SPACE Strand jacks are particularly useful in operations with limited space available, such as in sugar mills, which are generally very congested

Demand grows as centrifugal screen proves its worth

By: Robyn Wilkinson 31st March 2017 Market demand is growing for Johnson Screens’ all welded, one-piece wedge wire centrifuge screens after the completion of a three-year trial at sugar producer Illovo Sugar subsidiary Ubombo Sugar’s mill, in Swaziland, which started in 2014, says filtration specialist Filteg Solutions. →

Sugar industry reduces haulage costs by R38m

By: Robyn Wilkinson 31st March 2017 The South African sugar cane industry should be congratulated on the progress it has made over the past ten years in improving the efficiency of its haulage system in line with the South African National Roads Agency’s Road Traffic Management System (RTMS), says South African Cane Growers’... →

Need for industry growth must be recognised

By: Robyn Wilkinson 31st March 2017 More favourable economic conditions for sugar cane production and processing need to be fostered in South Africa to protect and grow a sector that contributes an average R12-billion to the economy and provides about 350 000 jobs in the country, say industry associations the South African Cane... →

Photo by Duane Daws
REMAINING GLOBALLY RELEVANT South Africa needs to protect its positon as a globally competitive producer of high-quality sugar

Sugar tax threatens sugar industry survival

By: Robyn Wilkinson 31st March 2017 The South African Treasury’s proposal to introduce a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) later this year threatens the sustainability and survival of a sugar industry already under strain, says South African Sugar Association (Sasa) executive director Trix Trikam. →

Online platform advances sustainability in global sugar supply chain

By: Robyn Wilkinson 31st March 2017 Sugar cane organisation Bonsucro launched Bonsucro Connect in January – a new cloud-based technology platform that will enable its global web of members to connect with one another to verify the sustainability standard of their sugar cane and streamline the global sugar supply chain. →

Photo by Joe Woodruff/Bonsucro
RESPONSIBLE SOURCING Bonsucro Connect will enable buyers to trace their supply and develop robust sourcing strategies to support producers of sustainable sugar cane-derived products

Expected decline in sugar cane crop

By: Simon Sonnekus 25th March 2016 The drought in the eastern part of South Africa will lead to a projected decline in sugar production of 500 000 t, says South African Sugar Association (Sasa) executive director Trix Trikam. “The strategic crop, which is grown in Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal, yields an average of 2.3-million tons... →

RAIN NEEDED Since November 2014 to date, producers have noted an average decrease of about 60% of the required rainfall

Drives provide maximum capacity for mills

By: Simon Sonnekus 25th March 2016 The South Africa branch of German engineering company SEW Eurodrive is focused on producing energy efficient drives that can maximise the load and capacity of mills and refiners in the sugar industry. “A key point in the sugar industry is its need for motors and gearing solutions to provide... →

TAILORED DRIVES SEW Eurodrive has reaffirmed its focus to tailoring its motor and gearing options for sugar producers

Corrosion cures for sugar cane industry

By: Simon Sonnekus 25th March 2016 Coatings manufacturer Kansai Plascon has reaffirmed its position in the sugar industry by providing holistic coating solutions that will prolong inevitable corrosion at sugar mills and refineries through implementing established specifications and seasoned systems. Kansai Plascon industrial and... →

Photo by Bloomberg
FILM THICKNESS Plascon ensures that the dry film thickness of the coating meets client requirements, with a full inspection conducted after the application

Sugar mill focuses on skills development

25th March 2016 South African sugar producer Illovo Sugar’s new technical academy located at the Eston sugar mill, in KwaZulu-Natal, will soon see large portions of the company’s agricultural, factory and management personnel attend a combination of intense in-classroom and on-the-job training to deliver... →

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SKILLS DEVELOPMENT The academy also presents the opportunity to extend the company’s agricultural programmes

Drought, low oil price weighing down ethanol industry

By: Simon Sonnekus 25th March 2016 The ethanol industry in South Africa remains lacklustre, owing to various issues, including low Brent crude oil prices, the persisting drought in the sugar cane-producing regions and the lack of policy implementation, says Ethanol Producers Association of Southern Africa chairperson Peter... →

Photo by Bloomberg
DETREMENTAL DROUGHT The end of the current drought will ensure crop production is restored fully

Sugar mill to bolster operations with broad upgrades

25th March 2016 Durban-based sugar producer Umfolozi Sugar Mill have set its sights on producing a higher grade of sugar by introducing a new distributed control system (DCS) as well as upgrading several of its systems for the 2016/17 season. The company has invested in the multimillion-rand system from... →

Photo by Duane Daws
MORE SUGAR IN THE BAG Combined results of upgrade projects at Umfolozi Sugar Mill is expected to increase the overall recovery to an additional 600 t of sugar in the bag

5.7% decline in half-year revenue for sugar producer

25th March 2016 Agriculture, agroprocessing and sugar producer Tongaat Hulett has noted a 5.7% decline in half-year revenue, generating an operating profit for the 2015/16 sugar season. The sugar season, which runs from April 1 to March 31 yearly has been beleaguered by drought during the current season which... →

Photo by Bloomberg
STRUGGLING MARKET Tongaat Hulett’s various sugar operations’ revenue totalled R5-billion up until September

Locally produced flocculants provide cost-effective solutions

By: Simon Sonnekus 25th March 2016 With increasing productivity and water availability being the biggest challenges for sugar and ethanol plants, chemicals group AECI’s wholly owned water, energy and air solutions subsidiary ImproChem has reaffirmed its focus to provide sustainable solutions for the sugar industry. →

SIMON TRESTON The new SENFLOC range of products is suited to the market as it has a unique property in uncurling to reach maximum expansion

Bittersweet report leads to prompt response from sugar company

25th March 2016 A report regarding sustainability issues in sugar cane production by the independent, not-for-profit research and network organisation Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO) has rapped the Malawian division of South African sugar producer Illovo over the knuckles over issues... →

Nepean

By: Zandile Mavuso 25th March 2016 Establishment in in 1995, South African manufacturing company Nepean Conveyors strives to be one of the leading conveyor design, manufacturer and service company in Africa, as it aims to grow through delivering quality conveyors to the benefit of all stakeholders, formation of strategic alliances... →

Electrolysers efficient energy alternative in sugar industry

25th March 2016 With electrolyser proving to be an efficient source of energy in the sugar industry, Tshwane-based specialised engineering company RTS Africa Engineering believes that the use of hydrogen in electrolysers is potentially the energy carrier of the future. Electrolysis is the process of splitting... →

HYDROGEN NEL A electrolysers offer complete reliability and flexibility for the end-user, and are a highly cost effective solution to hydrogen generation

Production decline spurs sugar price increase

By: Pimani Baloyi 27th March 2015 The provisional recoverable value price of sugar from cane delivered in January 2015 for the 2014/15 season increased to R3 359.21/t, after a R1.18 increase in December 2014, according to the South African Cane Growers Association (Canegrowers). Canegrowers attributes the increase to a higher... →

Photo by Duane Daws
INDUSTRY SUPPORT Canegrowers represents about 23 866 private sugar cane growers, many of whom run small family-owned farms

$82m Zambia sugar project gets under way

By: Pimani Baloyi 27th March 2015 JSE-listed sugar producer Illovo Sugar’s $82-million construction project at its subsidiary Zambia Sugar’s Nakambala sugar plant will give momentum to the further development of Zambian smallholder cane farmers, as well as provide employment opportunities for local people during construction,... →

GAVIN DALGLEISH About 90% of Illovo Sugar Group’s energy requirement is produced through renewable energy

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