Thailand's sugar output to exceed 10bn kilo

  
Wanyaree Paisuksantiwatana, secretary to the PR committee of the three sugar associations that covers all 46 sugar millers nationwide, said that millers have crushed over 90 million tonnes of sugar canes as of April 1. While expecting a higher export income, she ruled out domestic supply shortage thanks to the inventory of 343 million kilo from the previous harvest season as of March 30.
"In this season, yield is at as satisfactory level at 104.16 kilo to a tonne of sugar cane. At the end of this season (at end-April), the volume of sugar cane reaching sugar mills should hit 100 million tonnes as expected. This should allow us to produce over 100 million sacks or over 10 billion kilos. Of total, 70 per cent would be exported, which should generate over Bt100 billion in foreign income," she said.

The associations found that sugar cane from the Northeast produced the highest yield, at 108.52 kilo per tonne. This is followed by 102.99 in the Central Region, 99.98 in the North and 98.97 in the East.
 The commercial cane sugar (CCS), representing the sugar content of cane, is 12.03 on average, which is higher from the previous season.  Meanwhile, sugar millers have also produced 3.95 million tonnes of molasses, or 43.34 kilo per tonne of sugar cane.
 Wanyaree attributed the improvement to the campaign against cane fires. She said that farmers in the Northeast were the most successful in preventing cane fires, and thus their sugar cane provides the highest yield.