Agri Dept holds meeting to set 2024-2025 sugarcane floor price
The Agriculture Department will hold a work coordination meeting on 11 November in Nay Pyi Taw to decide the floor price for sugarcane in the coming 2024-2025 sugarcane season.
Director-General Dr Ye Tint Tun of the Agriculture Department, officials concerned, the chair of the Sugar and Sugarcane Related Products Manufacturers Association, sugar millers, factory owners and sugarcane farm representatives attended the meeting. The director-general discussed matters regarding access to pedigree sugarcane, technical awareness campaigns, sugar export and the association’s recommendation to import equipment.
Afterwards, attendees elaborated on the targeted volume for sugarcane milling, purchase price, plans for purchase and delivery, contract farming with sugarcane farmers, work procedures and requirements to fully operate sugar mills and floor price for the 2024-2025 sugar season. Mya Bayin Sugar Mill notified sugarcane growers that it will offer K200,000 per tonne of sugarcane in the 2024-2025 sugarcane season, up from the previous rate of K150,000 in the 2023-2024 sugarcane season.
The hike is to adapt to high sugar prices in domestic markets and cover the input costs of the growers.
Myanmar’s annual sugar production is estimated at 450,000 tonnes. Myanmar earlier sent sugar to China and Vietnam beyond self-sufficiency. At present, it is delivered to Vietnam only, U Win Htay, vice-president of the Myanmar Sugar and Cane Related Association (MSCRA), said.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Myanmar’s sugar was sent to China’s border province. Later, sugar exports were completely halted amid China’s strict policy on imports. Therefore, Myanmar’s sugar traders call for a quota to have a legitimate export to China. Myanmar enjoyed tax exemption for preferential origin rules while exporting sugar to Vietnam.
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. The sugarcane growing rotation cycle lasts four years in Myanmar. — NN/EM
