Full text at - http://www.cafod.org.uk/where_we_work/africa/south_africa/south_africa_a_sugar_farmers_story

South Africa: a sugar farmer's story

David Dlamini has been farming sugar cane in South Africa for 27 years. But the 66-year-old was forced to give up farming last year because he could no longer make ends meet.

Although David's farm lies thousands of miles from Europe, decisions made in Brussels have a direct impact on his livelihood. In 1975, when David first started farming, Europe imported most of its sugar from overseas.

But today, encouraged by CAP subsidies, European farmers have become the second largest sugar exporters in the world - producing more than 20 million tons of sugar every year and dumping around 5 million tons onto the world market.

Over the past decade, the South African Sugar Association estimates that the EU has depressed the world sugar price by 20 to 40 percent, forcing small farmers like David out of business.

"The price of sugar fluctuates all the time," he says. "When it declines, it affects the farmer directly. If we got a higher price for sugar, it would help us a lot."

Level the playing field

It costs between about US$300 to produce one ton of sugar in South Africa. In Europe, it costs US$600. But in spite of the high costs, EU production and export subsidies mean European farmers keep on growing sugar beet and it then gets dumped on the world market.

"South Africa could be the lowest cost producer in the world. It has the right growing conditions." says Vish Suparsad, director of external affairs for the South African Sugar Association. "The government gives no support to any farmer in South Africa, which means that the playing field is not equal."

"If there are changes to CAP, it might increase our chance of competing in the world market."