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Zubkov urges sugar beet producers to sign long-term contracts

Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov has called sugar beet producers to switch to long-term contracts

MOSCOW, October 25 (Itar-Tass) — Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov has called sugar beet producers to switch to long-term contracts.

“Such practice will provide an opportunity for agricultural producers and sugar producers to steadily develop, which will exert a positive effect on the retail market in the interests of final consumers,” he told a meeting on sugar beet processing on Tuesday.

“According to the Russian Agricultural Ministry, the country’s sugar beet production will reach some 40 million tonnes this year surpassing the output of 2010 and 2009 by almost 80 percent and 60 percent respectively,” he said.

“The main task is to effectively use high harvest of sugar beet for boosting domestic production, ensuring import replacement and developing the export potential,” Zubkov said.

The country’s leading sugar producers confirmed that this year’s sugar beet output will be enough to meet the domestic demand and highlighted expediency of customs tariff regulation that exerted a positive impact on the industry’s development.

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