A worker harvests sugar cane in a field at Pakchong district in Ratchaburi province, Thailand. (Photo: Reuters) Bangkok (VNA) – The recent drought has taken its toll on sugarcane fields in Thailand, causing a decline in the country’s sugar output and threatening to push up already high global prices.
Thailand’s sugarcane output in the 2016-2017 season is estimated to reach 91.1 million tonnes, down 3 million tonnes as compared to last season.
Chairman of Thai Sugar Millers Corporation (TSMC) Sirivuth Suamphakdee forecast that the downturn of sugarcane production will continue due to prolonged drought.
The situation will affect both the quantity and sweetness of sugarcane, thus lowering the quality of sugar, he added.
TSMC will host an urgent meeting to update the situation and seek solutions to improve sugarcane productivity.
Many local farmers delayed the cultivation of sugarcane owning to the drought, resulting in the late harvest. This year’s sugarcane harvest is set on December 1.
In the 2015-2016 crop, Thailand produced 9.7 million tonnes of sugar from 94 million tonnes of sugarcane.-VNA
