El Nino won’t affect Zim sugar production—Hippo

The El Nino climate patterns expected to develop late this year are unlikely to have an impact on Zimbabwe’s sugar production as major supply sources will provide enough cover for the industry, leading producer Hippo Valley Estates has said.

The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has already predicted an El Niño climate pattern to develop later this year, which could exacerbate global warming and break temperature records around the world.

The United Nations agency said it cannot yet forecast the strength or duration of El Niño, but according to its outlook, there is 80 percent chance it will form later this year, reports say.

“Notwithstanding El Nino episodes characterised by dry and warm conditions which are expected between December 2023 and March 2024, the industry’s major supply dams are envisaged to provide sufficient cover for the industry’s irrigation regimes for approximately two seasons,” said Hippo, a unit of Tongaat Huletts.

An El Niño is a naturally occurring climate pattern associated with warmer-than-normal ocean surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. El Niño events are typically associated with increased rainfall in parts of southern South America, the southern U.S, the Horn of Africa, and Central Asia.

But they can also cause severe droughts in Australia, Indonesia, and parts of southern Asia.

The total industry sugar output is estimated at 414 773 tonnes for the 2023/24 season from 396 683 tonnes, but still below the industry’s capacity of 600 000 tonnes.

“The industry is implementing both vertical (yield and quality improvements) and horizontal (new developments) to improve capacity utilisation in the medium to long term,” said Hippo. “In particular, planned plough and replant programmes and introduction and new varieties will significantly improve yields in future seasons.”

The company said the current marketing initiatives remained focused on growing and optimising both local and premium export sales. While the local market remains critical for the industry, the management will prioritise the fulfillment of commitments to existing regional and premium international markets.-ewsday