China plans to sell 400,000 tons of sugar from its reserves to
stabilize rising prices, which have surged since November as
natural disasters reduced local output.
The country may need as much as 9.3 million tons of sugar this
year, meaning there will likely be a shortage of more than 1
million tons, said Wang Haining, secretary-general of China Food
Association's sweetener branch.
The central government is rumored to have approved a plan to
inject 1.2 million tons of reserve sugar into the local market this
year.
This is a strategic way to stabilize the prices, signaling to
the market that the government is determined to curb the rising
trend, said Yang Jing, a sugar futures analyst from the JZ Futures
Co.
Half of the sugar will come directly from the country's current
reserves and the rest will be imported Cuba sugar, which will
arrive at Chinese ports soon. The sugar will be sold "at an
appropriate time in the near future," according to a statement
issued by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC)?and the Ministry of Commerce.
Yang said market prices will be a determining factor in the
government's decision on when to sell.
But news of the government's intervention into the market will
likely stop traders piling up stocks and continuing push up prices,
she said.
China sold 184,000 tons of sugar in two auctions in January, but
the efforts to counteract rising sugar prices have had little
influence.
Sugar prices in major producing regions such as Yunnan Province
and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region were quoted around 5,000
yuan (US$617) every ton yesterday, compared to an average price of
around 4,300 yuan (US$531).
White sugar futures for May delivery gained 47 yuan, or 0.9
percent, to 5,136 yuan (US$639) a ton yesterday on China's
Zhengzhou Commodity Exchange. The contract has gained 7.7 percent
since trading began on January 9.
The government's statement asked sugar manufacturers not to
stockpile the commodity.
"Sugar producers need to be alert to market risk and be ready to
sell their products in a timely manner," the statement said.
Raw sugar futures in New York are hitting a record high as the
global demand will also skyrockets this year and Brazil, the
world's biggest producer, is expected to use more sugar cane to
make automotive fuels.
According to the Ministry of Commerce, the average retail price
of sugar stood at 5.7 yuan (70 US cents) a kilogram in February, up
3.49 percent and 12.9 percent respectively over last month and the
same period of last year.
(China Daily March 8, 2006)