Country produced 8 lakh tonne of raw sugar from Oct 2013 to Jan 2014 and is expected to produce another 10 lakh tonne in current season

 

Pune: India has exported about 8.5 lakh tonne of sugar, including 4.5 lakh tonne of raw sugar, till January 31, 2014. 

The country has produced about 8 lakh tonne of raw sugar till January 31, 2014 and is expected to produce another 10 lakh tonne of raw sugar in the remaining months of current season, said industry body Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA). 

 

An ISMA release stated, “A total about 8.5 lakh tonne of sugar has been exported out of the country till January 31, 2014, of which 4.5 lakh tonne is raw sugar and the rest is white/refined. Another 1.2 to 2 lakh tonne, mostly raw, are in transit for getting exported.” Total sugar dispatches till January 31, 2014, starting from October 1, 2013 is about 79 lakh tonne. The country still has stock of 117 lakh tonne as on January 31, 2014. 

 

During the current 2013-14 season, India has produced 143.7 lakh tonne sugar till February 15, 2014. It was 165.88 lakh tonne during the same time last year. 

 

The gap in sugar production over last year, during the same corresponding period, has narrowed down to 13% on February 15, from about 16% a fortnight back, that is, up to January 31, the release said. 

 

About 485 sugar mills are operational across the country as of February 15, 2014 as against 500 mills last year during the same corresponding period. 

 

In Maharashtra, 147 mills have crushed about 454 lakh tonne of sugarcane to produce about 49.80 lakh tonne of sugar with 10.96% recovery, while last year when almost the same quantum of sugarcane was crushed, the average sugar recovery was 10.85%. However, to-date comparison of recoveries over the last year same time, looks low, as mills have started crushing about two weeks late. Till February 15, 2014, about 10 mills (four in Aurangabad zone ; four in Pune zone; one on Ahmednagar and one in Nanded) have closed in comparison to 8 mills during same corresponding period last year. 

 

Uttar Pradesh has produced about 35.7 lakh tonne, which is about 18% less than, i.e. 43.61 lakh tonne of sugar produced last year, during same period. A total of 119 mills are crushing sugarcane, as against 121 mills last year. Reported yields per hectare across Uttar Pradesh have been lower by about 6-7% as compared to the last year. 

 

Till date, sugar recovery is 8.91%, which is higher than last year’s 8.85%, if the same quantum of sugarcane crush is considered.