Drought conditions in most parts of the western division are expected to affect cane and sugar production this year.

Acting Permanent Secretary for Sugar – Viliame Gucake says the Meteorology Office has predicted this weather will prevail until the end of the year.

However, the latest figures show production has surpassed the estimates so far.

There has been an increase in production of 31 per cent for cane and 29 per cent for sugar so far.

The four sugar mills have crushed over 652-thousand tonnes of cane and produced 72-thousand tonnes of sugar.

TCTS or the ratio of tonnes of cane per tonnes of sugar is 8.65.