TEHRAN (IRNA) -- Iran's sugar production is to rise by 14.3 percent to 1,200,000 tons by end of the year on March 19, 2004, far ahead of the target set for the year, i.e. about 1,050,000 tons.

Director General of the Industrial Products Department at Ministry of Agricultural Jihad Ahmad-Ali Sheikhi told IRNA here on Monday that domestic output is hardly enough to meet domestic demand and his ministry would have to import 400,000 to 500,000 tons of the product for the purpose.

He put per capita sugar consumption in Iran at 20 kgs.