The National Sugar Development Council (NSDC) has refuted claims of looming sugar scarcity in Nigeria and stressed that there was also no reduction in the production of the commodity.

The Council warned operators in the sector to desist from spreading baseless rumours and needless propaganda that are capable of distorting the progress being recorded in sugar production industry.

In an advertorial published on Monday, BUA Foods Plc had alleged that Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc suspended sugar sales because the 2022 raw sugar allocation had been declined by the government. Flour Mills had since debunked the claim.

BUA had also accused Dangote Sugar of halting sales of the product in a bid to force an artificial scarcity and make prices to go up.

Speaking at the public presentation of the approved 2022 presidential raw sugar quota allocations to representatives of refineries in the sector, the Executive Secretary, NSDC, Zacch Adedeji, warned operators to stop raising false alarm.

Adedeji stated that the publication was false as there was enough stock of the commodity for consumption during Ramadan and lent.

“Only yesterday, the attention of the council was drawn to a publication in some sections of the media credited to BUA Foods on the suspension of sugar sales.

“Given the strategic importance of the sugar value chain to the Nigerian economy, the council wishes to state that there is no known stoppage in sugar production by any of the operators as a result of compliance issues or on the council’s mandate,” Adedeji said.

While stating that Flour Mills Nigeria (owners of Golden Sugar) is the best performing BIP operator in the industry, he said the 1.7 million tonnes of sugar consumed by Nigerians was merely five per cent of what was produced annually.