October 27, 2002	Sunday	Sha’aban 20,1423

KARACHI, Oct 26: Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) on Saturday said that the production of sugar in the country over the year has gone up by 7.85 per cent, while 83.50 per cent of the commodity has been lifted from the mills by October 15.

The total production of the sugar this year was 3,249,029 tons compared to 3,012,390 tons produced last year. Out of this, 2,722,541 tons were lifted from the mills, leaving 526,488 tons in stocks.

The production in 38 sugar mills of Punjab during the said period was 2,158,053 tons out of which 1,868,520 tons were lifted (88.66 per cent), leaving 287,532 tons in stock, compared to 1,699,294 tons produced last year out of which 1,386,851 tons were lifted (81.61 per cent), leaving behind 312,443 tons in stock.

The six sugar mills of NWFP produced 135,689 tons of sugar out of which 122,545 tons were lifted (90.33 per cent), leaving behind 13,124 tons in stock, compared to 89,659 tons sugar produced last year, out of which 63,541 tons were lifted (70.88 per cent), leaving 28,109 tons in stock.

Out of 32 total sugar mills in Sindh, 27 operative mills have produced a total of 957,306 tons of sugar out of which 731,476 tons have been lifted (76.41 per cent), leaving behind 225,832 tons in stock.—APP