New Delhi: Buoyed by rise in sugar output in India, Pakistan, Russia and the EU, global production of the sweetener is expected to rise by almost 5% to 172.8 million tonne (mt) in the 2011-12 marketing season, United Nation's body FAO has said.

World sugar production stood at 165.1 mt in the 2010-11 marketing year (October-September), Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said in a report.

“FAO’s current estimate for world sugar production in 2011-12 stands at 173 mt, relatively unchanged from the November 2011 forecast, but 4.6% larger than in 2010-11," it noted.

Downward revisions in output, mainly in Brazil, Mexico and the US were largely offset by upward revisions in the EU, Russian and Pakistan, it added.