Bangkok, Nov. 20 - Thailand's Cane and Sugar Board has revised its forecast for 2007-08 sugar output to 7.4 million metric tons, up 4.2% from an August forecast, a senior official at the government's Office of the Cane and Board said Tuesday.
Sugar output totaled 6.7 million tons in the 2006-07 crop year.
The board also revised its sugar cane output forecast to 70 million tons, up 4.9% from its August estimate.
Sugar cane output totaled 63.8 million tons in the 2006-07 crop year.
"Better rain volume during the cultivation period helped boost the crop forecast," said Boonthin Kotesiri, director of the board.
The Thai sugar crop runs from October through September.
The 2007-08 sugar and cane output forecast is preliminary, Boonthin said, adding that the board will revise the figure in February, a few months after the start of the sugar cane crushing season.
The sugar cane crushing season starts Nov. 23, when sugar mills in the northeastern region begin crushing and milling, he said. Mills in other parts of the country will follow suit on Dec. 1.