No sugar shortage in Pakistan, surplus stock available: Minister

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for National Food Security & Research Rana Tanveer Hussain on Thursday categorically dismissed reports of a sugar shortage due to exports and said that there is a surplus of the commodity.

Addressing a presser, the minister said that the government has implemented a system to ensure sugar remains available at officially fixed prices. He termed the reports of sugar shortage as a ‘misleading perception’.

“A perception is being created as if there is a major issue regarding the availability, supply, or pricing of sugar,” Rana Tanveer Hussain added. He said that the government has already launched a crackdown on hoarders and profiteers, including retailers and even mill owners are being checked, to control manipulation in the market.

Referring to criticism over the government’s initial approval of sugar exports followed by import plans, the minister said these narratives ignored historical trends and factual data. Citing records from the past 10 years, he explained that sugar exports have traditionally been allowed soon after the crushing season and were occasionally followed by imports—except in one or two years.

The minister said that the Sugar Advisory Board—which includes federal ministers, secretaries, representatives from all four provinces, and industry stakeholders—approved exports last year on basis of data.

“At the beginning of the season, Pakistan had an opening stock of 800,000 metric tons. The crushing season yielded 6.8 million metric tons of sugar, while the country’s annual domestic consumption stood at 6.3 million metric tons—leaving a surplus of 1.3 million metric tons.”

The minister acknowledged that initial projections for the 2024–25 season estimated sugar production at 7 million metric tons, slightly higher than the previous year. However, he said climate change adversely impacted agricultural output, including sugarcane yield. As a result, actual production dropped to 5.8 million metric tons.