Unrefined sugar imports stood at 758,000 tons during the first eight months of the current Iranian year (March 21-Nov. 21), showing a 12% decline compared with the similar period of last year, according to the director general of the Government Trade Corporation’s Distribution and Sales Department.
“The import figure’s decline is due to a rise in domestic production of sugarbeet to 4.6 million tons, indicating a 20% year-on-year rise,” Hojjat Baratali was also quoted as saying by IRNA.
The official noted that out of the total sugar imports, 70,000 tons were purchased by the private sector and the rest by GTC.
GTC is the lever for enforcing market controls and is in charge of maintaining a supply of wheat, rice, cooking oil, sugar and meat for the country’s strategic reserve of essential goods.
A total of 4.6 million tons of sugarbeet have so far been harvested from farms across the country since the beginning of the current Iranian year on March 21, showing a 20% rise compared with the similar period of last year, according to a recent report released by the Government Trading Corporation’s Public Relations Department.
Some 3.2 million and 1.4 million tons of sugarbeet output pertained to the spring and autumn cultivation seasons respectively, Mizan Online reported.
Fars with 60% topped the list of provinces with the highest growth in production followed by Khorasan Razavi with 35%.
Baratali announced that by Nov. 11, close to 1.18 million tons of sugarcanes were produced.
“Sugarcane yields so far are as much as last year’s and will give us 700,000 tons of refined sugar. Given the amount of domestic production and imports, the country’s sugar reserves are sufficient to meet domestic demand this year,” he added.
The manager of “Beetroot Project” carried out by the Agriculture Ministry said earlier this year that 1.8 million tons of sugar are estimated to be produced locally in the current Iranian year, which is enough to supply more than 70% of the annual domestic demand.
Peyman Hesadi also told IRNA that per capita sugar consumption in Iran stands at 27 kilograms per year, which is 2 kg more than the global average of 25 kg.
“As such, our annual sugar demand reaches 2.2-2.3 million tons per annum,” he said.
Iran aims to achieve 95% self-sufficiency by the end of the country’s 20-Year Vision Plan (2005-25).
