Sweet Sugar News: Malawi Government Rolls Out Landmark Sugarcane Industry Bill
**Malawi has introduced its first Sugarcane Industry Bill, 2025, aiming to regulate and boost the sugarcane sector. The bill promises enhanced investment, fair profit distribution, improved infrastructure, and global competitiveness. It also proposes a regulatory commission and tribunal to oversee reforms. Industry players, including Illovo Sugar (Malawi) Plc, have welcomed the bill, calling it a long-awaited move.**
In a bold step set to reshape one of the country’s key agricultural sectors, the Government of Malawi has unveiled the first-ever Sugarcane Industry Bill, 2025—a comprehensive legal framework aimed at regulating and promoting sugarcane farming for industrial use.
Published in the Malawi Gazette Supplement on April 1, 2025, the bill marks a historic shift for a sector that, despite its potential, has operated without formal regulation for decades. The lack of oversight, officials say, has stunted growth and limited investment in the industry. Now, that’s about to change. The bill has been warmly received by sugarcane growers, producers, and industry giants like Illovo Sugar (Malawi) Plc, who have long called for structured reforms. Circulated to Members of Parliament on April 1, the bill was listed for discussion on the parliamentary order papers of April 8 and 9 and could be passed within the week.
Once enacted, the bill is expected to significantly boost productivity, improve infrastructure, and attract new investments across the entire sugarcane value chain. A section of the bill reads: “The legal framework will encourage investment in the cultivation of sugarcane intended for production of sugar, ethanol and other sugarcane products and by-products. It will improve the quality of life of sugarcane growers through enhanced income generation and strengthen Malawi’s competitiveness in regional and global sugar markets.” It also promises to enhance the transportation, sale, and pricing of sugarcane, while ensuring fair distribution of profits derived from sugarcane by-products. Industry leader Illovo Sugar (Malawi) Plc welcomed the bill with open arms.
“We welcome the Sugarcane Industry Bill, which we have eagerly waited for a long time,” said Olive Kawelama, the company’s Communications and Stakeholder Relations Manager. Among its key reforms, the bill proposes the establishment of the Malawi Sugarcane Industry Commission, a new regulatory body to spearhead industry development. It also outlines the creation of a Sugarcane Industry Tribunal, alongside new regulations for stakeholder registration, licensing, obligations, and industry-wide improvements—including for transporters and millers. This bill could mark a turning point in the sweet story of Malawi’s sugarcane industry—unlocking its full potential and ensuring sustainable, inclusive growth for years to come.
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Source : Nyasa Times
