Supply pinch over late start to crushing.

Byline: Yuthana Praiwan

Dec. 14--A shortage of sugar in the domestic market is expected to be temporary due to the late start of sugarcane crushing for the current milling year.

The scarcity is expected to ease next week but it will not have any impact on sugar prices because the commodity is under government price controls, an industry executive said.

The executive said supplies were tight because crushing for the 2005-06 harvest season was delayed until Dec 10 from the usual starting date around Nov 20.

Sugar mills in northeastern Thailand began crushing over the weekend and new supplies of processed sugar entering the market starting …