Government intervention needed to prevent sugar shortage this summer

It is probable that this summer there will be too little sugar on the market. Although the warehouses are full most of the sugar must be sold abroad. Last year most of the sugar mills' creditors were paid with sugar which they later sold on the market virtually flooding it. This forced the government to take preventive steps. Four-hundred thousand tonnes of sugar were sent abroad, and the minimum import duty was raised to euro 450 per tonne [a 100% increase]. At the same time there was an overproduction of sugar and its prices were really low. This year however there may be a serious shortage. Together with all imported sugar and that produced in the country there will be 1.3 million tonnes whereas the need is 1.6 million. Only a government intervention can prevent the situation. Nobody knows how much sugar is still in storage and almost 20% of sugar mills are facing bankruptcy. (Gazeta Wyborcza, page 23) J.K