USES OF SUGAR AND ITS BY-PRODUCTS IN KENYA

Uses of Sugar

  • In baking to sweeten bread, cakes, etc.
  • Sweetening foods and drinks e.g. porridge, chapati, tea, coffee, etc.
  • Making local brews e.g. Karubu, nguru, etc.
  • In soft drinks industries e.g. soda, juice, etc.
  • Making sweets and chocolates, etc.
  • Manufacture of drugs e.g. syrups and sugar-coated tablets.




Uses of By-products

  • Molasses is used as a sweetener for livestock feeds.
  • Its also used to manufacture ethanol, acetone, and ethyl-acetate.
  • Bagasse or fibre left after squeezing the juice is used as fuel for boilers, for preparing pulp for making paper used for making cement and fertilizer bags and as fodder or manure.
  • Filter cake resulting from the filtration process is used as manure for the cane.

RELATED POSTS

8 PROBLEMS FACING SUGARCANE FARMING IN KENYA




  • Pests e.g. termites attack setts lowering the farmer’s yield.
  • Diseases e.g. sugarcane mosaic which causes the crop to become stunted with leaves becoming yellow.
  • Mismanagement of some sugar factories resulting in their closure and subsequent loss of income and jobs.
  • The inability of some factories to cope with the supply of cane from out-growers due to low production capacity and outdated technology.
  • The local sugar industry faces competition from cheap imported sugar from COMESA countries.
  • Strikes by cane farmers and transporters due to inadequate pay resulting in drop in output.
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