Sugar mills seek export of 600,000 tonnes

The Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) has demanded immediate permission to export 600,000 metric tonnes of surplus sugar, according to a letter sent to the Federal Minister for National Food Security.

The association has requested that permission for exporting the remaining 550,000 tonnes be granted at the start of the new crushing season, stating that sugar exports could generate approximately $575 million in valuable foreign exchange.

The PSMA reminded the government that its commitment from the previous year to allow exports of surplus sugar stocks had not yet been fulfilled. At the end of the current season, sugar stocks stood at 7.967 million metric tonnes. After meeting domestic requirements, surplus stocks of 1.181 million metric tonnes are available.

The association said improved varieties were cultivated due to better payments to sugarcane growers, leading to expectations of a good crop in the next crushing season, with production projected at 8 million metric tonnes.

The letter noted that current sugar prices are significantly lower than production costs, and urged the government to issue orders for immediate permission to export 600,000 metric tonnes of surplus sugar.