Sugarcane price set at K90,000 per tonne for upcoming sugarcane season

Mongyai Sugar Mill notified sugarcane growers that sugarcane will be offered at K90,000 per tonne for the upcoming sugarcane season.
Last 2021-2022 sugarcane season, the price was quoted at K60,000 per tonne only. This year, the offering price increased on account of the rise in sugar price, high agricultural input cost and expansion of acreage, sugar and sugarcane businesspersons said.
Despite the price hike, sugarcane growers called for better deals amid the soaring input cost and fuel price spike.
Low inventory in domestic markets and lack of sugar imports pushed the sugar price to the highest. In the 2019-2020 season, sugar prices stayed below K1,000 per viss (a viss equals 1.6 kilogrammes). The prevailing price of sugar surged to K2,260 per viss.
Ngwe Yee Pale Sugar Company has planned to provide K200,000 per acre in advance for those growers who are interested in sugarcane cultivation due to the price rise. The plan aims to support sugar production for the 2023-2024 season.
Approximately, 450,000 acres of sugarcane are grown across the country this year with an annual production of 450,000 tonnes of sugar. Sugar was conveyed to China and Viet Nam in the past years beyond self-sufficiency. Now, it is only shipped to Viet Nam, according to Myanmar Sugar and Sugarcane-related Products Entrepreneurs Association.
Sugarcane is commonly found in the upper Sagaing Region, followed by northern Shan State. It is also found in the western and eastern Bago Region, Yangon Region and Mandalay Region.
The sugarcane is grown in December-January. It can be harvested from November to February of the following years. Once growing sugarcane can be harvested three years in Myanmar.—NN/GNLM