Sugar Production to Rise by 11%

Sugar production is expected to increase by 11 percent by the end of the current Iranian year (in March 2012), said Industry, Mine and Trade Ministry’s director general for non-metal industries.

Mohammad Sadeq Niaraki said that more than 1.25 million tons of sugar will be produced in the country by yearend which is twice the figure for the year to March 21, 2010.

The official stated that domestic sugar factories are projected to operate at 70 percent of their capacity by March 2012 while the figure for the past year was 62 percent.

“Currently 43 factories, with the total production capacity of 1.8 million tons of sugar from sugarcane and sugar beet, are operational nationwide,” he said.

Niaraki said that 4.2 million tons of sugar beets are expected to be produced by the end of the current Iranian year, showing a 10-percent rise compared to the figure for the same period of last year.

“Sugarcane production would exceed 6.5 million tons in the current year, which indicates a 15 percent growth compared to the figure for the same period of the preceding year,” he noted.

The official stated production of 1.25 million tons of sugar would meet a significant part of domestic demand, thus in a bid to support Iranian producers suitable tariff rate would be levied on imported sugar.