China 2008-09 Sugar Output 12.3 Mln Tons As Of End-Apr

China's sugar production totaled 12.30 million metric tons as of end-April for the 2008-09 crushing season, according to data provided by the China Sugar Association Friday, mostly unchanged from a previous estimate.

Cane sugar output totaled 11.40 million tons and beet sugar production reached 901,300 tons by the end of last month, the data posted on the Guangxi Sugar Wholesale Market's Web site showed.

The association didn't provide year-ago comparisons.
Only a few mills in the provinces of Guangdong and Yunnan and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region were still crushing, it said.
The sugar crushing season in China, the world's third-largest producer and second-largest consumer, usually runs from November to April.
The association last month forecast the country's total sugar output for the 2008-09 crushing season at 12.34 million tons.

source: marketwatch