Permission sought to export sugar

The sugar industry stakeholders have called on the government to allow the export of surplus sugar and promote the free market economy. “Last year, Pakistan produced 7.9 million tonnes of sugar, which is 40% (2.247 million tonnes) more as compared to that in FY2020-21,” noted Miran Mohammed Shah, President of the Sindh Chamber of Agriculture. “If the decision-makers had considered this aspect, as opposed to only seeing the consumer side, they would have immediately allowed the export of one million tonnes of sugar, which would have earned the country approximately $600 million,” he added. The sugar industry has been asking for permission to export the surplus amount for the last seven months, citing that the price of the commodity in the international market had dropped from US$560 per tonne to $528.7 per tonne to date. The SCA president predicted that if an early decision was not taken, the prices would further decrease to $427 per tonne in February-March which would cause a colossal loss to the national exchequer in terms of exports revenue.