NUR-SULTAN. KAZINFORM Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov commissioned to step up sugar beet production in Pavlodar region, Kazinform reports.
«The Ministry of Agriculture together with the regional administration and Baiterek Holding shall take measures to step up sugar beet production in Pavlodar region and explore the issue of construction of a new sugar mill in Pavlodar,» Alikhan Smailov said at the Cabinet’s meeting today.
In his words, ensuring food security and supply of home-produced goods to the markets remain strategic objectives for the Government.
«The current situation unveiled a number of problems in some commodity items, primarily, sugar. We have received numerous complaints from people on sugar deficit and its high price,» he said.
According to him, the government has compiled a comprehensive plan of development of the country’s sugar industry.
«The first and foremost task is to supply domestic raw materials to the sugar mills. In this regard, we are planning to expand cropping lands more than three-fold from 11,500 to 38,000 hectares. This will enable us to increase annual sugar production to 250,000 tonnes in the nearest five years,» he said.
Besides, the existing sugar mills require modernization and expansion of production capacity.
«In whole, the situation with sugar has stabilized,» he concluded.