S UGAR imports have ballooned during the first six months of this year, according
to official figures.
From January to June this year a total of 14,197.03
tonnes was brought in, easily outstripping total imports for the whole of 1993,
which were only 9,374.5 tonnes.
The statistics, compiled by the
state-run Kampuchea Shipping Agency and Brokers (Kamsab), also show that during
the first six months of 1993 just 904 tonnes were imported.
The vast
majority of sugar imported into Cambodia comes in ships handled by
Kamsab.
However, one very well informed shipping source denied that there
is a real increase in demand for sugar in Cambodia.
With a primitive
wholesale market requiring good local connections, sugar imports have remained
largely in the hands of Cambodian entrepeneurs, the source said.
"What
happened is that several people noticed that there was some money to be made out
of sugar and they all jumped on the bandwagon at the same time, over- loading
the market," he said, adding "some of them will have got their fingers badly
burned."
The biggest monthly shipment in the last 18 months of 3,416.39
tonnes occured in February this year, coinciding with the Chinese New Year, when
demand is at its annual high.
There are only three large concerns
requiring the commodity; Cambrew, producers of Angkor beer; Apsara, makers of
condensed milk and the Cambodia Beverage Company, which makes soft drinks under
license from Coca Cola.
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