ISLAMABAD, June 7: Pakistan has produced about 4.73 million tons of sugar to fulfil its domestic consumption for the year 2008-09.

An official in the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock (Minfal) told APP here on Saturday that about 4.2 million tons of sugar was consumed per annum as against the total production of 4.73 million tons of sugar.

Surplus stock of about 0.52 million tons of the said commodity is available for domestic consumption as its demand showed an upward trend during the hot season because of habitual use of cold drinks and other cold and sweet beverages products, he said.Beside this, the official said that the government has always kept an average of two months sugar stock as a food security measure to tackle any unwanted situation in the country.

The government has set the target to cultivate sugarcane crop on 1.39 million hectares during 2008-09 to further increase sugar production for domestic consumption as well as for export, he added.

In Punjab, 0.7 million hectares was set to produce sugarcane, while in Sindh 0.230 million and the NWFP 1.09 million hectare land would be put under sugarcane cultivation respectively, he said.

He said that the targeted area under sugarcane was decreased as total area under sugarcane cultivation in 2007-08 was 1.241 million hectares.

He said that sugar mills were fully functional and were crushing cane as per fixed rates of crop, adding that provincial governments were observing the situation and trying to facilitate all stakeholders.

Our correspondent adds: This is the first time that the sugar production in Pakistan crossed 4 million tons mark.

Last season 3.5 million tons of sugar was produced. A record unsold stock of 2.91 million tons was available on March 31.

Huge sugar production will be a positive thing for economy and will improve overall performance of the agriculture sector to some extent.

But, the growers, who have produced a bumper crop, are not paid their dues for their produce on time. According to the Farmer Association of Pakistan sugar industry has owed Rs40 billion to the growers. The issue is yet to be resolved despite continuous protest by growers.