China's 2011 sugar output estimated at total 11 mln tons
Beijing. February 24. INTERFAX-CHINA - China's sugar output for this production season may total 11 million tons, down from previous estimates, state media reported Feb. 24.
China's sugar production season normally occurs from October to the following April. Production reached 6.39 million tons as of Feb. 10, according to the Futures Daily, citing comments made Feb. 23 by the China Sugar Association's (CSA) vice president Jia Zhiren.
The figure, lower than a CSA estimate of 12 million tons last November, was adjusted due to freezing weather in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region late last year, said Jia, speaking at the Guangxi Sugar Exchange conference in Nanning, capital of Guangxi.
Sugar output from Guangxi and Yunnan Province - China's two largest producers - is expected to total seven million and 1.9 million tons, respectively, this season, Jia added.
The purchasing price of sugarcane in Guangxi rose from RMB 350 ($53.22) per ton at the beginning of last October to RMB 482 ($73.29) per ton on Feb. 23, according to the region's price bureau.
- Li Xin
