Kazakhstan to reduce sugar imports by 32%

NUR-SULTAN. KAZINFORM «Kazakhstan will reduce sugar imports by 32% to raise the home-produced sugar supplies at the domestic markets from 7% to 43%,» Kazakh Agriculture Minister Yerbol Karashukeyev said.

«Annual sugar consumption in Kazakhstan stands at 532,000 tons. Out of which 7% account for sugar produced in the country due to irrigation water scarcity, sugar-beets labor-intensive growing methods, sugar-mills worn-out state, price dumping by Russian producers,» he told the Government meeting.

He noted that it is expected to increase sugar-beet gross yield from 332,000 tons to 1.8 mln tons by solving the problem of water supplies, an extension of cultivated areas from 14,500 ha to 38,000 ha, technical equipment, as well as launching the projects for updating and construction of a sugar mill with the infrastructure development of the industry. Consequently, it is targeted to raise sugar production sevenfold up to 254,000 tons, and to reduce sugar imports by 32%.