Venezuelan bottler of Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Femsa SAB has halted the production of the sugar-sweetened beverage as a result of sugar scarcity in the country.

The country is facing recession, food shortages and frequent power cuts.

The company’s spokeswoman Kerry Tressler told the Guardian in an email that the company has halted production of sugar-sweetened drinks, though production of diet beverages such as Coca-Cola Light is continuing as usual.

"Sugar suppliers in Venezuela have informed us that they will temporarily cease operations due to a lack of raw materials."

Tressler said: "Sugar suppliers in Venezuela have informed us that they will temporarily cease operations due to a lack of raw materials."

Due to stringent control on pricing and increasing production costs, sugarcane farmers are shifting to other crops that are more profitable, reported the BBC.

According to USDA estimates, Venezuela’s sugarcane production is estimated to drop by 450,000t to 430,000t in 2016-2017 from the previous year.

Coca-Cola Femsa SAB, a joint venture between Coca-Cola and Mexico’s Femsa has four plants in Venezuela.

Earlier this year, Coca-Cola Femsa announced its plans to spend around $800m over four years to bolster its operations in Philippines.