The Commerce Ministry yesterday met with millers to tackle a nation-wide sugar shortage.

The meeting attendees agreed to transfer sugar from quota Kor (C) to quota Gor (A) to alleviate the problem.

Normally, there are 380,000 sacks of sugar available in the domestic market.

Under the agreement, that supply will be increased by 10 per cent to 420,000 sacks.

Despite the injection, the ministry is not confident the amount will satisfy the demand.

Deputy Commerce Minister Preecha Laohapongchana said that the ministry would conduct a survey on sugar demand among small and medium-sized enterprises.

The report aims to gauge the total demand in the country versus available supply.

The ministry will hold a meeting with sugar millers again today to address problems such as shortages and smuggling.

A source among the millers said they agreed with the ministry's policy of increasing supplies to the home market.

"The government imposed stringent restrictions to control illegal sugar exports t combat the shortage," he said.

Preecha said the Custom Department found some small and medium-sized traders had smuggled the commodity to neighbouring countries.

If contraband activity cannot be tackled, the ministry will force the millers to track the movement of sugar shipments.

Between October of last year to March , the Customs Department has managed to seize a total of 76 illegal shipments.

The total contraband amounted 64,912 kilograms and were worth Bt723,183.

Sathit Limpongpan, director-general of the department, said that the culprits were mostly small traders.

There was no report of sugar millers smuggling sugar, he said.

The illegal shipments took place at border provinces such as Chanthaburi, Mukdahan, Ubon Ratchathani, and Trat, according to Preecha.

Petchanet Pratruangkrai

The Nation