Sugar output drops 1.4 million tonnes
Sugar mills nationwide turned out 1.2 million tonnes of sugar in the 2015-2016 sugarcane crop, a fall of 1.4 million tonnes from the previous crop, according to the Vietnam Sugarcane and Sugar Association (VSSA).
This is the second consecutive sugar crop with a sharp fall in production.
To ensure sufficient sugar for domestic consumption, the Ministry of Industry and Trade asked the Government’s permission to import 200,000 tonnes of sugar.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the country has 305,000 hectares of sugarcane crops with an average yield of 65.3 tonnes per hectare.
Sugar supply woes pushed domestic prices higher, the VSSA said, adding that each kilogram of domestic sugar fetches between VND16,500 (US$0.74)-VND17,100 (US$0.77) in 2016 while it was priced at VND12,750 (US$0.57)-VND13,400 (US$0.6) last year.
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According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the country has 305,000 hectares of sugarcane crops with an average yield of 65.3 tonnes per hectare.
