China will face a shortage of 2 million tons in sugar supply next year, Shanghai Securities News has reported.

China's sugar consumption in the 2005/2006 refining year is expected to reach 11.5 million tons, while domestic output is estimated at 9.5 million tons, the report said, citing experts attending a recent sugar conference in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in south China.

Experts said that areas devoted to sugarcane-growing in Guangxi, China's main sugar producer, have decreased by 57,300 hectares last year.

The region's sugarcane output is estimated to drop by 4.2 million tons due to severe droughts this year and the decreasing cultivating areas.

Meanwhile, China's sugar consumption continues to rise with the fast growth of the food processing industry and the change of the consumption pattern of the Chinese people.

China's sugar consumption will hit 12.5 million tons by the year 2007, experts predicted. They called on the central government to further perfect the country's sugar security storage system and strengthen macro-control of the industry.

Source: Xinhua