Sugarcane farmers appeal for sugar tax repeal or moratorium on increases until 2030

Two South African sugarcane farming associations, the South African Cane Growers Association (SA Canegrowers) and the South African Farmers Development Association (Safda), have said they are concerned that any increase to the “already devastating” Health Promotion Levy (HPL), or sugar tax, will further harm the 25 000 sugarcane farmers in the country. The organisations called on President Cyril Ramaphosa and his administration to either scrap the sugar tax entirely or, at the very least, extend the HPL moratorium until 2030, which is in line with the Sugarcane Value Chain Masterplan to 2030.