Belarus Expects to Produce 560,000 Tons of Sugar, Belta Reports

Dec. 28 (Bloomberg) -- Belarus expects to produce at least 560,000 metric tons of sweetener from this year’s sugar-beet harvest, news agency Belta reported, citing the Belarusian State Food Concern Belgospisheprom.

This will be the most sweetener produced from sugar beet in recent years, Belta cited Valentin Komandirov, head of Belgospisheprom’s development of sugar and confectionery industry department, as saying.

About 507,000 tons of sugar has been produced to date, a 26 percent increase compared with the same period last year, according to the report. Exports are down 78 percent at 380,000 tons, Belta reported, citing Komandirov.

--Editors: Sharon Lindores, Claudia Carpenter

-0- Dec/28/2011 16:48 GMT

To contact the reporter on this story: Aliaksandr Kudrytski in Minsk, Belarus at akudrytski@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Claudia Carpenter at ccarpenter2@bloomberg.net -0- Dec/28/2011 15:49 GMT