Sugar production, as on February 1, stood at 1.826 million tons, against 1.938 million tons of the corresponding period of last year, showing shortfall of over 0.1 million tons. According to Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) fortnightly report issued here on Wednesday, Punjab contributed 1.294 million tons, Sindh 0.464 million tons and NWFP 0.065 million tons.
The production data indicated that Punjab's performance was better than last year for December-January period--the first two months of crushing season--whereas other two sugar producing provinces, NWFP and Sindh, were still short of their last year's production.
For 2003-04 February and March, the remaining two months of the crushing season, had added two million tons sugar to total of around 4 million tons production. But this time PSMA is expecting different trend. It said that sugarcane crop could end abruptly to force the mill owners finish crushing ahead of schedule.
Usually crushing start from mid-November and comes to an end in the first week of April. This year, crushing started quite late, in the first week of December.
Its secretary general K.A.Qazalbash said that since this year crop was short it could result in abrupt end to crushing season. He said that production trend of the first two months of the crushing season was as per industrialists' expectations.
He estimated sugar production for 2004-05 at 3.1 million tons against official projection of 3.5 million tons.
According to Qazalbash, the PSMA had conveyed to the government that it was anticipating shortfall in sugar production. He, however, was fully convinced that the government move for import of raw and refined sugar was an ill time move and it was meant to hurt the industry.
The PSMA is critical of the mode of import off first shipment of 0.250 million tons of raw sugar and called it as a move meant to favour a particular group.
It has raised the issue at the highest level and demanded inquiry into the allocation of quota for import of 0.25 million tons raw sugar.
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