October 9 2003, 15:01 UNIAN

Government plans to import 220,000 t of raw sugar in 2004

According to government's draft of the economic programme for 2004, Ukraine will import in the next year 220,000 tonnes of cane-origin raw sugar. At the same time, it is planned to increase local production of beet sugar by 9.7 percent - up to 1.7 million tonnes.

According to the State Customs Committee, in the period from January to July 2003 Ukraine imported 1.124 million tonnes of raw sugar, of which only 500,000 tonnes have been re-exported.

According to agriculture ministry's forecast, production of beet sugar in this year will constitute 1.55 to 1.6 million tonnes.