Even as the Government is yet to notify export of one million tonnes of sugar for which the decision has already been taken, Union Minister of State for Food K. V. Thomas has said that permission might be given for more exports.

Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the Rajiv Gandhi National Quality Awards function here, Mr. Thomas said the Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) meeting here on April 25 would consider more exports of sugar as the production estimates had been revised upward to 25.5 million tonnes from the earlier 24.67 million tonnes this year, against an estimated domestic demand of 22 million tonnes.

The Minister's comments must be seen in the context of a letter written recently by Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh wherein he criticised the Union Food Ministry's “negative approach” on sugar exports. Mr. Pawar lamented that even though the decision to export the last tranche of the 3 million tonnes of sugar was taken on March 26, no orders had been issued. The advantage would be lost once Brazilian sugar came into the international market, he had pointed out.

Now the Food Minister says the modalities of sugar exports as well as the decision to export more quantities in view of the higher output expected will be taken at the EGoM meeting on April 25. The EGoM is headed by Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee. “We will consider more sugar exports at the coming EGoM meet as our production is expected to be good,” Mr. Thomas said.

The Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) expects the country's sugar production to be even higher at 26 million tonnes. Earlier, addressing the awards function organised by the Bureau of India Standards, Mr. Thomas emphasised the need for maintaining “quality of products and services” in today's era of liberalisation and globalisation. “Performance excellence is an important element of competitiveness which leads to efficient and effective operations.” He later met a Chinese delegation and discussed possibility of cooperation in technologies for modern foodgrains storage.