IKAR in Mass and Industry Media

Russian 2009/10 beet sugar refining 3.22 mln T

Reuters

MOSCOW, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Russia has finished the 2009/10 beet sugar refining season, processing 3.22 million tonnes of white sugar down from a record 3.55 million in 2008/09, the Russian Sugar Producers' Union, the industry lobby said.

A union statement, seen by Reuters on Tuesday, said the last refinery stopped processing 2009 crop beets on Feb. 8.

The output volume is below the lobby's latest forecast of 3.25 million tonnes and above the 3.21 million tonnes forecast by leading Russian sugar market analysts the Institute for Agricultural Market Studies (IKAR).

Russia is expected to boost white sugar output from domestic beets this year as the sowings area is set to rise.

In the 12 months of 2009 it refined from beets 3.28 million tonnes of white sugar, or 65 percent of the total of 5.05 million it produced last year.

Russia refines most of its sugar from domestic beets and the remainder from imported cane raws.

Although imports are expected to rise this year because of lower import tariffs, under a three-year programme for Russian beet sugar sector, the country planned to cut the share of imported raws in its refining.

17.02.10

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