Washington, May 12 - Following are selected highlights from a report issued by a U.S. Department of Agriculture attache in Islamabad:
"Pakistan's marketing year 2009/10 sugar production is forecast at 3.65 million tonnes, up about 3 percent from the current year estimate of 3.56 million tonnes. Consumption is forecast at 4.35 million tonnes and imports at 730,000 tonnes. Trial production of sugar beet has proven successful but industry is reluctant to encourage expanded production due to technical and administrative challenges. Pakistan's sugar industry produces more than half a million tonnes of ethanol per annum from cane molasses, over 50 percent of which is exported to Europe, Far East and Middle East countries."