China's sugar output in the year ending on May 31 rose by almost a quarter to a record as higher prices in 2001 and 2002 prompted farmers to plant more sugar cane and sugar beet, the government said.

　　China produced 10.5 million metric tons of sugar for the 2002-2003 crushing year, up from 8.5 million tons a year earlier, Beijing Orient Agribusiness Consultant Co, an agriculture ministry arm, said in a report. Sugar made from crushing cane rose 24 percent to 9.3 million tons and sugar production from beets rose 21 percent to 1.2 million tons.

　　Sugar sales in the year to May 31 rose 15 percent to 6.8 million tons, it said. For the marketing year ending on September 31, China's sugar consumption may rise 6.6 percent to 9.7 million tons compared with a year earlier.

　　China's sugar imports in the first five months of this year fell 19 percent to 182,000 tons. The country's sugar exports in the period fell by 60 percent.