Uzbekistan’s sugar output increases by 0.5% in Jan-Sep 2010

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Uzbekistan increased production of granulated sugar by 0.5% in January-September 2010 compared to the same period of 2009.

According to the Uzbek State Statistics Committee, the country produced 218,200 tonnes of granulated sugar in the reporting period.

Currently, two sugar enterprises are operating in Uzbekistan. Khorezm Shakar JV OJSC is largest sugar producer in Uzbekistan. Khorezm Sugar Plant was commissioned in 1998. The cost of the plant is US$83.25 million. Preliminary plant was designed for processing sugar-beet, which was planned to plant in Uzbekistan. The capacity of the plant was 3,000 tonnes of sugar-beet a day. But low crop pushed to conserve the plant.

Shakar Investment, an Uzbek-Austrian-US joint venture, carried out project on transfer of the capacity to processing of cane sugar with the cost of US$2 million in 2002. Currently, the plant can process 1,000 tonnes of cane sugar a day.

In March 2006, Austria’s SEID Нandelsgesellshaft mbH acquired 99.43% state shares of Khorazm Shakar OJSC for US$17.6 million. Other 0.57% share belongs to individuals and management of enterprise.

Khorazm Shakar increased sugar production by 8.2% year-on-year in 2009 to 275,134 tonnes.

In July 2009, the second plant on production of granulated sugar – Nukus Hukamo – has been launched. The plant can produce up to 13 tonnes of product a day.