Iran's sugar output is expected to rise to 1.3 million tons by the year end on March 19, said Managing Director of the Sugar Cane and Peripheral Industries Development Company Mehdi Mofidi on Wednesday, IRNA reported from Tehran.

Mofidi told a meeting on sugar market regulation that sugar smuggling threatens national sugar industry, requiring adoption of necessary measures to check illegal imports.

He called for adoption of certain measures for mass production of sugar.

According to the Head of the Board of Directors of the Association of Sugar Industrialists Iran needs about 1.8 million tons of sugar a year.

... Payvand News - 1/29/04 ... --