By Dr Muhammad Kadwa, president of the South African Sugar Technologists’ Association (SASTA)
THE South African sugar industry is synonymous with the rural economy, and rightly so. The industry operates in deeply rural areas of KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga, where alternative jobs are minimal. The industry, especially the farming element of it, is not seen as being technologically advanced.
However, this perception is far from reality. In modern-day farming and milling, even in South Africa, technology is the nexus of the operations, thereby providing the basis for the sustainability of the industry. A few examples of technology being embraced include highly sophisticated sugarcane breeding facilities, specialised farming implements, load cells in cane and sugar haulage vehicles, voluminous pieces of equipment in sugar mills and embracing energy efficient processes to reduce the carbon footprint. And the industry knows that continuous improvement is essential.
Established in 1926, the South African Sugar Technologists’ Association (SASTA) serves as a technical society for people in the industry. It is a not-for-profit organisation and operates under the aegis of the South African Sugar Association, which represents both the sugarcane growing and milling sectors in South Africa. Currently, SASTA has more than 500 voluntary members, with varying skillset backgrounds including engineers, scientists, researchers, economists and farmers. They generally have some common goals – to minimise biosecurity risks and investigate innovative ways to improve farming and milling activities of the industry.
The all-important Sugarcane Value Chain Master Plan to 2030 speaks to the reimagined cane industry strategy, which emphasises innovation. Therefore, as sugar technologists, under the auspices of SASTA, we play a critical role in supporting the objectives of the master plan. We do so by promoting the interchange of scientific knowledge of, and the discussion and investigation of technical problems related to, the production and processing of sugarcane products; promoting the improvement in the accuracy and rational standardisation of methods of factory chemical control and cane testing; encouraging and assisting in the improvement of the technical knowledge of persons engaged in the South African sugar industry; storing a vast, accessible repository of literature including Congress proceedings since 1927; encouraging research into all aspects of sugarcane agriculture and sugar milling practice, and in such ancillary fields.
Annually, sugar technologists, in particular, gather in Durban to share knowledge and research/study findings meant to enhance and improve farming and milling operations. For example, as a matter of a highlight, the last SASTA Congress featured a paper presentation on the utilisation of drones to apply chemical ripening agents on sugarcane fields for small-scale growers, who often farm in marginalized areas and thus are unable to benefit from this technology.
This has been proven to improve sugarcane quality, with concomitant economic benefits. Another example was a paper presented on lessons learnt from investigating sugarcane product diversification opportunities, which helps advance the industry’s diversification agenda towards meeting the master plan’s objectives. Techno-economic modelling, market intelligence, investment insights and policy support were used to rank and shortlist product candidates and to investigate whether economically feasible investments could be identified.
Also importantly, is the exhibitor element at all congresses. Many of these exhibitors showcase their latest technologies, and very often their technology is used in many sugar industries around the world. It is also worth mentioning the crucial role played by the South African Sugarcane Research Institute and the Sugar Milling Research Institute in terms of the sustainability of the local industry and their influence on many other global sugar industries. These two institutions are at the forefront of research and development endeavours and are an indispensable part of the annual congress.
The 96th SASTA Congress will be held at the ICC, Durban from 13 – 15 August 2024.
The full version of this article is at www.sasugar.co.za.
