Sugar output drops 1.4 million tonnes hinh anh 1 Refined sugar sold at Co.opmart supermarket (Photo:VNA)

Hanoi (VNA)
– 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.

Sugar supply woes pushed domestic prices higher, the VSSA said, adding that each kilogram of domestic sugar fetches between 16,500 VND (0.74 USD)-17,100 VND (0.77 USD) in 2016 while it was priced at 12,750 VND (0.57 USD)-13,400 VND (0.6 USD) last year.

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.-VNA
VNA