South Africa has slightly raised its estimate for 2003/04 sugar production to 2.410 million tonnes from a previous estimate of 2.404 million, still well down on last year's record crop.
The South African Sugar Association (SASA) said in its December estimate that the year's cane crush would fall to 20.42 million tonnes, 15,000 tonnes less than the November estimate.
"Cane production has remained relatively steady but the amount of sugar we have managed to obtain has increased," SASA's finance director Deane Rossler said in a statement issued late on Thursday.
The figures are well down on last year's record crop, which was estimated at 2.754 million tonnes for December 2002. Rossler added that it was assess the affect of South Africa's recent drought.