Regional Presence: Third Sugar Plant for Terra Africa

Various studies are underway There are several steps to take, "said Sebastian Mamet, Executive Development at Terra. 

The group identified four countries in East Africa and Central Africa, including Mozambique, Tanzania and Kenya to settle his sugar plant. The choice will be finalized during the first quarter of next year, probably in February. "The choice of countries depend on several factors, including political stability, the political price of sugar in the country, the infrastructure, the availability of water for irrigation, soil quality and climatic conditions," adds Sebastian Mamet.

The factory area of the third sugar plant cover an area ranging from 7000 to 10,000 hectares.  The project cost should be around Rs 6 billion. It should be made with partners in Africa, including banks.

Terra has already invested in two mills in Côte d'Ivoire. They are managed by SUCRIVOIRE Ltd, which owns 25.5% of Terra shares. The production of these plants is estimated at 95 000 tonnes of sugar this year, against 87,000 tonnes in 2010-11.

An investment program for a period of three to five years was established for the rehabilitation and modernization of two mills. Despite the delay in the implementation of this program, largely attributed to the socio-political crisis in Ivory Coast, the fi nancing has been obtained from international financial institutions and banks.

For its part, the group proposes to invest Omnicane, together with local partners in a sugar plant Kenya. The sugar complex will include a distillery and a power plant.

Omnicane a mission, headed by Gérard Castle Balyon, Project Leader, is in Kenya to discuss the modalities of this project.

About Altéo, born of a fusion of Deep River Beau Champ and Flacq United Estates Ltd, its future is necessarily opportunities outside Mauritius. Both existing operations, such as TPC Ltd in Tanzania, at the level of developing new projects in Africa.

The group wants to reach a production of 100,000 tonnes of sugar in Tanzania, against 90,000 tons produced by its factory TPC Ltd. This objective should not require huge investments, in addition to those contained in the normal plane of its development budget. Altéo term aims to produce 400 000 tonnes of sugar in the region.