During the first two months of the current crushing season, sugar mills in the country produced 39.51 lakh tonnes (lt) of sugar, which is 42 per cent higher than in the corresponding period last year, a statement from the Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) said on Tuesday.

Sugar production till November 30 last year was 27.82 lt. Sugarcane crushing has been taken up by a total of 443 mills, including 170 in Maharashtra and 110 in Uttar Pradesh, against 393 mills in the same period last year.

Units in Maharashtra produced 14.9 lt of sugar as against 9.42 lt till November 30 last year; UP mills 8.48 lt (5.11 lt) and those in Karnataka 6.82 lt (6.8 lt), the ISMA statement said.

During the same period, 17 sugar mills in Gujarat produced 1.80 lt (1.4 lt) . Mills in other States contributed a total of 2.4 lt, it said.