TEHRAN, Sept 10: Iran will import 100,000 tons more sugar than expected in the year to March after cold weather slashed the cane crop in the southwestern province of Khuzestan, an official said on Saturday.

Iran is a major sugar importer and has already planned to import 352,000 tons in the year to March 2006.

The 100,000 tons deficit must be replaced by additional sugar imports, said Darioush Shambaiati, director of public affairs at the Sugar Cane Development Company, a state-run production firm. The cold that hit Khuzestan last year damaged 20 per cent of the sugar cane crop, so the province will barely produce 500,000 tons this year, said Shambaiati.

Iran’s commerce ministry had vowed to end sugar imports to support domestic producers in the year to March 2006 but ex-Commerce Minister Mohammad Shariatmadari told Reuters in July that Iran would still buy it if needed. Iran says it produced 1.4 million tons of sugar in the year to March 2005, while sugar consumption stood at 1.8 million tons.—Reuters