MOSCOW: Russia’s sugar production will increase to 5.6 million tonnes in 2016, from 5.2 million tonnes last year, thanks to a larger sowing area and favourable weather, Evgeny Ivanov, a sugar analyst at IKAR, forecast on Tuesday.

Russia has been seeking to ramp up sugar production in recent years as it aims to become self-sufficient following the Soviet era’s heavy reliance on imports from Cold War ally Cuba.

Imports of white sugar are forecast at 280,000 tonnes in 2016/17, down 9,000 tonnes from 2015/16, Ivanov said, while exports of white sugar may rise to 15,000-20,000 tonnes from 8,000-10,000 tonnes this year.—Reuters