The Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc (FMN) has announced the launch of Sunti Brown Sugar, a wholly indigenous product made from sugarcane produced locally.
The company said in a statement, that this is in line with its commitment to the backward integration strategy of the Nigerian Sugar Master Plan which seeks to raise local production of sugar, attempt to stop or avoid a prevailing importation trend of the commodity and create jobs.
During the launch, Boye Olusanya, the group managing director of FMN, stated that continued investments in Nigeria’s sugar value chain would boost local sugar production capacity while empowering host communities. He commented that the sugar currently produced from locally grown sugarcane meets less than 5% of the nation’s demand, saying that FMN’s response to this would “immensely improve food security and reduce the over-dependence on sugar imports. It also creates vast employment opportunities for skilled and semi-skilled labour.”
Read also: Dangote Sugar wins food fortification award
Sunti Brown Sugar is produced at Sunti Golden Sugar Estates, which is owned and operated by Golden Sugar Company, a subsidiary of the FMN Group. The sugar, according to the company, is fortified with Vitamin A and provides additional nutritional benefits, creating a consumer affinity for made-in-Nigeria products. “And while we are not quite there yet, I believe that with Golden Sugar’s leadership in the industry, Nigeria is well on its way to recapturing the glory years of sugar production in the 80s. In the long run, our goal is to build a vibrant sugar sector, one the economy can derive immeasurable benefits from,” Olusanya added.
Devlin Hainsworth, managing director of the foods division, FMN Group, added that the new product is set to restore Nigeria’s pride, as it is a product entirely made, from start to finish, in Nigeria.
“We are building on our track record of excellence in the sugar industry. Without a doubt, the addition of Sunti Brown sugar to our product portfolio broadens our ability to meet the diverse needs of our customers,” he said.
FMN is a key player in the sugar sector through the success of the Golden Penny pure white refined sugar. With the launch of Sunti brown sugar, FMN says this reaffirms its commitment to the Nigerian Sugar Masterplan, which aims to increase domestic sugar production to meet the 1.7 Million Metric Tons (MMT) demand. Sunti Brown Sugar is expected to contribute to Nigeria attaining self-sufficiency in sugar production by growing the required local capacity to meet the demand for sugar and its by-products.
