The federal government’s Sugar Advisory Board (SAB) has recommended the export of 40,000 tons of sugar to Tajikistan. This follows the government’s previous approval of a 150,000-ton export in June 2024.
The SAB’s recommendation came during a joint meeting with the Cabinet Committee on Monitoring Sugar Exports, chaired by Federal Minister for Industries and Production Rana Tanveer Hussain.
The Ministry of Industries and Production will present the proposal to the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet for review. The ECC will assess the latest developments in the sugar industry before making a final decision. The SAB also recommended extending the export period from 45 days to 60 days.
The Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) reported no increase in the ex-mill price of sugar, clarifying that the retail price remains unaffected. The PSMA urged the government to maintain stable retail prices.
In June 2024, the government conditionally approved the export of 150,000 metric tons of sugar, requiring the PSMA to maintain adequate local stocks to ensure stable domestic supply and prices.
In January 2023, the coalition government of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) permitted the export of 250,000 tons of sugar based on surplus projections.
However, this decision led to domestic prices soaring from Rs100 per kg to Rs190 per kg by August 2023. By late August, the caretaker government revealed that national sugar reserves had dropped to 2.3 million metric tons, insufficient to meet demand until the next crushing season.
This situation raised concerns about potential misreporting of sugar production and consumption figures by both the industry and the previous government. Consequently, sugar exports were banned, and appeals for resumption faced rejection until the cane-crushing season concluded in March 2024.
