Ukraine's government raised its 2004 sugar beet crop estimate to 18 million tonnes on Tuesday from the previous figure of 17 million, but its white beet sugar output estimate remained at 1.7 million tonnes. Ukraine harvested 13.3 million tonnes of sugar beet and produced 1.45 million tonnes of white beet sugar in 2003.
The presidential press service, quoting Ivan Kyrylenko, the deputy prime minister for agriculture, said white sugar output this year could almost cover Ukraine's needs in the 2004/05 season.
Ukraine consumes about 1.9 million tonnes of sugar per year.
Producers, however, said lower beet quality this year could affect sugar output.
"Sugar content is lower this year - at between 13.7 and 13.8 percent compared with 14.5 percent in 2003 - and beet sugar output could total between 1.50 and 1.55 million tonnes," sugar producers' union Ukrtsukor said in a statement.
Ukrainian refineries had processed 1.3 million tonnes of white sugar from 11.78 million tonnes of sugar beet by November 7.
Ukraine had produced 1.22 tonnes of white sugar from 10.7 million tonnes of beet at the same date last year.
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