It is reported by International Sugar Journal.

While this is some 13% higher than the previous year, by all accounts this is significantly short of the full capacity of 256,000 tonnes which the company hopes to achieve by 2021, according to the production director of Biocom, Fernando Guerra.

«This is just the third crop. It seems like a lot, but it’s a new plant, it’s a baby still, when compared to others in the market, which are centennial. But it has been growing every year and we are very satisfied with the production this year», — said Fernando Guerra.

Slow growth in sugar output has been due to the lack of availability of cane for processing. Combination of drought and reduced availability of water for irrigation from the Kwanza River have been contributory factors.

The factory processed 510,000 tonnes of cane in 2016, 601,00 tonnes in 2017 and is hoping to process at least 100,000 tonnes cane in 2018. Cane supply will have to increase to well over 2 million tonnes by 2021 for the factory to operate at full capacity. A significant challenge for the company.

This year, Biocom invested US$12 million in the purchase of new equipment to mechanize agricultural operations from soil cultivation to harvesting, which it hopes will contribute to the expansion in cane production.

Located in the municipality of Cacuso, 75 kilometers from the city of Malanje, Biocom is one of the largest Angolan agroindustrial projects, led by the Brazilian Odebrecht group (enmeshed currently in corruption scandal in Brazil), which owns 40% of the company’s capital, along with Cochan group which also has 40% stake and the state oil company Sonangol has the remaining 20%.