The production of sugar in Maharashtra, the top producer of sweetener in the country, is expected to fall by 7.6% from a year earlier in the 2015-16 season (October to September), on account of poor rainfall, as per information compiled by the Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA). The production in Maharashtra is expected to be 97 lakh tonne.
The area under sugarcane in Maharashtra is likely to remain at 10.6 lakh hectare, according to the preliminary estimate for 2015-16 released. The output in Uttar Pradesh - second largest sugar producing state - is estimated to rise by 3.5% to 7.35 MT in 2015-16, as against 7.1 MT this year.
The production of sugar in the country is projected to surpass domestic demand for sixth year in a row at 28 million tonnes (MT) in the marketing year beginning October 2015, as per ISMA.