? 58 lakh ton exports contracted
New Delhi, Jun 17 (Agency) India’s sugar production rose 13 per cent till June 15 in 2020-21 marketing year at 306.65 lakh tonnes on higher sugarcane production, according to trade data. Sugar marketing year runs from October to September. ‘Sugar mills across the country have produced 306.65 lakh tonnes of sugar between 1st October 2020 and 15th June 2021. This is 35.54 lac tonnes higher than 271.11 lac tonnes produced at the same time last year,’ Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) said in a statement. Only five mills are currently operating in the country. In Uttar Pradesh, sugar production stood at 110.61 lakh tonnes till June 15 of 2020-21 as against 126.30 lakh tonnes in the corresponding period of the previous year.
Sugar output in Maharashtra rose to 106.28 lakh tonnes from 61.69 lakh tonnes during the period under review. In Karnataka, sugar production increased to 41.67 lakh tonnes from 33.80 lakh tonnes. As per port information and market reports, ISMA said mills have contracted for 58 lakh tonnes of export of sugar so far against the government quota of 60 lakh tonnes of sugar for 2020-21. Out of this, about 45.74 lakh tonnes of sugar have been physically exported out of the country.
It is also reported that another about 5-6 lakh tonnes of sugar is in pipeline to be physically exported in June 2021. In addition to the above, the sugar industry had exported 4.49 lakh tonnes of sugar in Oct-Dec 2020 quarter against the export quota of the 2019-20 marketing year. ISMA said that sugar demand may cross 260 lakh tonnes in the 2020-21 marketing year as against 253 lakh tonnes in the previous year.
It pegged sugar exports at 70 lakh tonnes. ‘In addition to higher domestic sales of 8–10 lakh tonnes in the current year till the end of September 2021, over last season, sugar exports in the current year is expected to be around 70 lakh tonnes, which gives the industry the confidence that the closing balance of September 2021 will be about 20 – 25 lakh tonnes less than the closing balance of last season,’ ISMA said.