The USDA estimated 2001-02 U.S. cane sugar production at 4.185 million short tons, unchanged from the prior forecast but up from the estimate of 4.071 million for 2000-01.

Cane sugar production by state for 2000-01 (with 2001/02 projection in parentheses) consists of the following: Florida, 2.055 million (2.060 million) short tons; Hawaii, 240,000 (270,000); Louisiana, 1.570 million (1.675 million); Texas, 200,000 (165,000); Puerto Rico, 6,000 (15,000).

The USDA estimated 2001-02 U.S. beet sugar production at 4.250 million short tons, unchanged from the forecast in May but down from the estimate of 4.5 million for 2000-01.

Stocks-To-Use Ratio Below Last Year's Figure 

While USDA has released sugar production projections for 2001-02, it does not yet have estimates for that year on other activity.

The USDA projected the stocks-to-use ratio at 19.3% for 2000-01, compared to 18.6% estimated last month and 22.0% for 1999-00.

U.S. sugar stocks at the end of the 2000-01 crop year are estimated at 2.018 million short tons, above last month's estimate of 1.946 million tons but below the 1999-00 figure of 2.219 million tons.

The USDA pegged U.S. raw sugar imports in 2000-01 at 1.698 million short tons, below a projection of 1.723 million short tons but up from the estimate of 1.636 million for 1999-00.

Actual arrivals of sugar imports in the U.S. under the 2000-01 quota were pegged at 1.245 million short tons, the same as a forecast but above the estimate of 1.124 million tons for 1999-00, the USDA said.

For non-quota sugar imports USDA released an initial estimate for the 2001-02 year. The department projected 2001-02 non-quota sugar imports at 390,000 short tons, the same as the estimate in May but down from the forecast of 453,000 for 2000-01.

Non-quota imports are described as those exempt from the U.S. sugar import quota, including those for re-export, those imported as sugar syrup, those imported for conversion to polyhydric alcohol and those above-quota imports that are subject to high tariffs.