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3.72 million tonnes sugar production expected in
2004
ISLAMABAD (March 26 2004): Over 32 million tonnes
of sugarcane was crushed and another 10 million
tonnes available with sugar mills for the ongoing
season and the government was expecting a total
production of 3.72 million tonnes sugar during
2004.
The available stocks of sugar remains at 1,922,830
tonnes upto 29th of February, 2004, which were
34,2831 tonnes higher than the stocks available in
the same period last year, says position paper,
which was jointly prepared by the Ministry for
Food and Agriculture and the Pakistan Sugar Mills
Association (PSMA).
The paper, a copy of which was made available to
Business Recorder from the sources in the Pakistan
Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) on Thursday,
disclosed that the stock had remained at 1,579,999
tonnes at the end of February last year.
During the crushing season in the Punjab, Sindh
and the NWFP, the government expects 80 percent
utilisation of 52.6 million tons of sugarcane
production for year 2003-04, the paper says.
Total estimated domestic consumption was 3.5
million tons against the expected production of
3.72 million tons.
In Punjab, 22.276 million tonnes of sugarcane was
crushed till the end of February against 19.19
million tonnes of cane last year. In Sindh it
jumped up from 7.853 million tonnes to 10.524
while in the NWFP, the cane crushing dropped from
1.549 million tonnes to 1.428 million tonnes.
The paper says that the Punjab registered a hike
of 0.217 million in sugar production as it touched
1.782 million tonnes versus 1.565 of the last year
till the end of February.
In Sindh, the production was 0.973 millions tonnes
against 0.709 million tonnes in the corresponding
period of last year while in the NWFP it is 0.120
million tonnes which was 0.105 million tonnes in
last year.
Payment made to the cane growers remained at 79.71
percent in Punjab, according to the paper. On the
whole of 76 percent payment was made to the
growers in Sindh province.
The paper said that national average price of
sugar has showed a decline of Rs 2.22 per kg as
compared to the prices of the last year adding
that on March 4, 2004 per kg price of sugar was Rs
17.76 per kg against the last year's price of Rs
19.98.
The paper discloses that the stock with PSMA as on
February 29, 2004 is 1,922,830 metric tons against
last year's stock of 1,579,999 tonnes.
However, the paper said that the cultivated area
of sugarcane declined by 49000 hectares during the
current season in comparison to the last year.
In 2003-04 sugarcane was sown in 1050 thousand
hectares in the country against 1099 thousand
hectares of last year.
Courtesy Business Recorder |
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Pakissan.com; Advisory Point
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