An investment of Rs 400 million to Rs 600 million will be required for each sugar mills in Punjab and Sindh to set up separate plant for sugar production from sugar beet slicing, sources in sugar industry told Business Recorder here on Sunday.
The government considers that the sugar beet is the only available option to increase the sugar production, as the sugarcane requires more water while the country has been confronting water shortages. However, the sugar industry in Punjab and Sindh seemed to be least interested in producing sugar from sugar beet.
Sources said Pakistan has become water-starved country owing to depleting water resources as no major dam was built during the last many decades. "This is the major source of concern for the agriculture managers," they said.