All news

Ukraine insists RF introduce duty-free quotas for sugar from Ukraine

Ukraine expects to produce about 2 million tons of sugar this year

KIEV, September 28 (Itar-Tass) — Ukraine insists Russia introduce duty-free quotas for sugar from Ukraine, Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food Nikolai Prisyazhnyuk said.

Speaking at a news briefing on Wednesday, Prisyazhnyuk said the CIS ministers of agriculture “decided to sign a memorandum on sugar trade till December 2011.”

“We will defend our positions,” the minister said.

Earlier, Ukraine insisted on introducing quotas on import of Ukrainian sugar free of charge.

Ukraine expects to produce about 2 million tons of sugar this year, Prisyazhnyuk said.

“We expect in 2011 gross sugar beet output of over 16 million tons that will go for the production of 2 million tons of sugar, up by 30 percent on last year. Even without taking into account the remaining quantities, this will fully cover the market’s demand and will create the export potential,” the minister said. He said in the spring of this year sugar beet was planted on an area of almost 550,000 hectares, up by 11 percent against last year.

Ukraine’s annual sugar consumption is 1.8 million tonnes.