Average yields rose by 1.05 tonnes per hectare from a year ago to 27.6 tonnes, a ministry statement said. Analysts expect the country to refine over 2.4 million tonnes of sugar from domestic beet, a new record high volume after last year's 2.24 million. The statement said farmers had threshed over 6.1 million tonnes of sunseed, 1.6 million tonnes more than on November 7 last year. Sunseed had been harvested from 5.2 million hectares, or 95 percent of the harvest area.
Average yields rose by 0.11 tonnes per hectare to 1.18 tonnes. Analysts expect the sunseed crop to rise up to 6.3 million tonnes this year, a new record high. A previous record of 4.9 million was achieved in 2003.