TEHRAN - Iran cut sugar imports by 12% in the eight months to late November amid a major rise in domestic output, says an official in the country’s Government Trading Corporation (GTC).
Hojjat Baratali, who heads distribution and sales at the GTC, said on Tuesday that sugar imports in the eight calendar months to November 21 had amounted to 758,000 tons.
The government had been responsible for more than 90% of sugar imports into Iran over the period, said Baratali.
He added that cutting imports from countries like India had been made possible thanks to a major surge in sugar beet production in Iran.
The official added that sugarcane supplies to mills had also increased nearly 61% year on year in the eight months to late November to 1.178 million tons.
That will add another 700,000 tons to output figures expected for the calendar year to March, said Baratali.
The GTC, which is responsible for staple supplies in Iran, hopes increased domestic output of sugar will help tame prices in the domestic market in the upcoming months.
Activity in the Iranian agriculture sector has surged constantly over the past three years helping the government to reduce its imports bill on basic goods.
Figures provided by the government show the sector grew by nearly 9% over the calendar year to March while total output reached over 120 million tons over the same period.