Thai crushing runs on, production still in doubt

Sugar crushing in Thailand, the world's second-biggest exporter, is running smoothly, but traders said on Friday they were still sceptical about yields in the current 2010/11 season, which might be lower than expected. Around 960,000 tonnes of sugar has been produced from the 11.84 million tonnes of cane that has been crushed since the 2010/11 season started in early December, according to data from the Office of the Cane and Sugar Board (OCSB).
"We may have to revise our sugar production forecast again by end-February after seeing what happens to the yield," said Prasert Tapaneeyangkul, the OCSB's secretary-general. Sugar content in the cane was not very good as the 2010/11 crop was hit by drought early in 2010, then some plantations were damaged by severe flooding in November.