MISCELLANEOUS AGRO

Sugar, any of numerous sweet, colourless, water-soluble compounds present in the sap of seed plants and the milk of mammals and making up the simplest group of carbohydrates. The most common sugar is sucrose, a crystalline tabletop and industrial sweetener used in foods and beverages.

Sucrose is found in almost all plants, but it occurs at concentrations high enough for economic recovery only in sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) and sugar beets (Beta vulgaris). The biggest producer and exporter of sugar in the world is Brazil (21% of total production and 45% of total exports). A significant amount of sugar is also produced in India, European Union, China, Thailand and the United States.