The country’s sugar production stood at 23.75 million tonnes (MT) in the first seven months of the 2013-14 season (October-September period), as per report compiled by Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA). This is a drop of 3.45% compared with production of 24.6 MT in the corresponding period last year. This fall in sugar production can be attributed to decline in output in key states. The current sugar crushing season has almost come to an end and only about 80 of the country’s 504 mills operated on April 30.
The output in state of Maharashtra, the leading sugar producing state, fell to 7.65 MT till April from 7.98 MT in the year-ago period. The rate of sugar recovery from crushed cane was 11.4%. In Uttar Pradesh, the country’s second-biggest producer, output declined sharply to 6.41 MT from 7.48 MT. Sugar recovery was 9.27 while production in Karnataka was the highest ever at 4.17 MT as against 3.4 MT a year earlier. Sugar recovery in the state was 10.99%.
Further, sugar production in Gujarat rose 4% to 1.18 MT till April, while output in Andhra Pradesh touched last year’s level of 990,000 tonnes. The production in state of Tamil Nadu was down 30% at 1.08 MT so far this season. ISMA has pegged sugar output at 23.8 MT for this season compared with 25.1 MT last year.