Sugar production up 13%

New Delhi: India's sugar production rose by 13 per cent to 305.68 lakh tonnes in the first eight months of the current marketing year ending September, mainly due to higher output in Maharashtra, according to trade data.

Sugar marketing year runs from October to September.

"Sugar mills across the country have produced 305.68 lakh tonnes of sugar between October 1, 2020 and May 31, 2021," the Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) said in a statement.

Sugar production stood at 270.05 lakh tonnes in the year-ago period.

Only seven sugar mills were crushing sugarcane as on May 31 this year primarily in two states — Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

In Uttar Pradesh, sugar production stood at 110.16 lakh tonnes as against 125.46 lakh tonnes in the year-ago period.

In Maharashtra, crushing season has concluded. Sugar production in the state rose to 106.28 lakh tonnes as against 61.69 lakh tonnes in the corresponding period of the previous year. In Karnataka, sugar production increased to 41.67 lakh tonnes from 33.80 lakh tonnes.

As per port information and market reports, sugar mills have contracted about 58 lakh tonnes of sugar for exports against the 60 lakh tonnes quota fixed by the government.

"It is also estimated that almost 44-45 lakh tonnes of sugar would have physically got exported out of the country during January, 2021 to May, 2021," ISMA said.