Uzbekistan, Tashkent, October 24/ Trend D.Azizov /
The Xorazm shakar JV Public Corporation, the only sugar producer in Uzbekistan, lowered its sugar output by 0.6 per cent to 257,400 tons in January-September 2013 compared to the same period last year, the State Statistics Committee data said on Thursday.
As reported earlier, in 2012 the company increased its output by 0.1 per cent up to 323,100 tons compared to 2011.
The Khorezm sugar factory worth $83.25 million was put into operation in 1998. Initially the plant was designed for processing sugar beet, which was planned to be grown in Uzbekistan. However, due to low crop capacities of the Khorezm sugar factory have been suspended.
In 2002, the Uzbek-Austrian-American joint venture 'Shakar Investment' implemented a project worth $2 million for the transfer of capacity of the plant for processing of raw cane sugar. At present, the capacity of technological line for processing of raw materials is 1,000 tons of sugar a day.
The shareholders of the company are Panamanian Motril Investments, which owns 69.43 per cent stake, Singapore KITO Investments - 20 percent, SEID Handels GmbH - 10 percent, the labor collective - 0.57 percent.
As reported earlier, Welton International Enterprises Pte. Ltd., Kito Investment Pte. Ltd and SEID Handelsgesellschaft m.b.H. plan to build another sugar plant in Uzbekistan worth $108.45 million.
A sugar plant to be built in the Angren special industrial zone in the Tashkent region will have a design capacity of 1000 tons a day. The plant will operate on raw cane sugar.
The annual demand for sugar in Uzbekistan is currently around 700,000 tons with about 350,000 tons being imported.