WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture, in its Jan. 10 World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report, projected carryover of sugar in the United States on Oct. 1, 2020, (2019-20 ending stocks) at 1,556,000 short tons, raw value, down 99,566 tons, or 6%, from the December projection and down 227,000 tons, or 13%, from 1,783,000 tons in 2019, resulting in an ending stocks-to-use ratio of 12.7%, down from 13.5% in December and down from 14.5% in 2019.

U.S. sugar production was forecast at 8,158,000 tons, down 122,000 tons from December and the lowest since 2010-11, based on beet sugar outturn at 4,444,000 tons, up 76,890 tons but still the lowest since 2008-09, and cane sugar at 3,713,000 tons, down 199,453 tons based on a like decrease in Louisiana and the lowest since 2013-14.

Total imports were projected at 3,881,000 tons, up 21,000 tons from December, with tariff rate quota imports at 1,604,000 tons, down 10,000 tons, other program imports at 350,000 tons, unchanged, imports from Mexico at 1,827,000 tons, unchanged, and high-tier imports at 100,000 tons, up 30,000 tons, “based on pace and on favorable margins between U.S. and world refined sugar prices.”

Total projected use in 2019-20 was unchanged from December at 12,265,000 tons.

Only one minor change was made for Mexico, with 2019-20 imports forecast at 89,000 tonnes, actual weight, up 4,000 tonnes from December, raising ending stocks by a like amount to 934,000 tonnes. Forecast production and domestic use were unchanged from December.