The country’s sugar production has declined by 8.5% to 19.38 mt till March 15 of the current marketing year due to lower output in key producing states, according to industry body ISMA.

Production stood at 21.1 mt in the corresponding period last year.

Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) has revised overall production forecast downward by 5% to 23.8 mt for the ongoing 2013-14 marketing year (October-September). Last year, the output was 25.1 mt.

In an official release, ISMA said the gap in sugar production is narrowing down. About 428 sugar mills were still crushing sugarcane as on March 15 of this year as against 362 mills in the year-ago period.

According to latest data, sugar mills in top two producing states — Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh — have produced less sugar so far. A similar situation prevailed in Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh.

Sugar production in Maharashtra was 6.41 mt till March 15 of this year, down from 7.23 mt in the year-ago period.

Sugar output in Uttar Pradesh was down at 5.07 mt from 5.89 mt while production in Gujarat remained lower at 9,70,000 tonne from 9,91,000 tonne in the review period.

Production in Andhra Pradesh was 4% lower at 8,80,000 tonne till March 15 of this year while output in Tamil Nadu was down at 8,00,000 tonne against 11,50,000 tonne in the same period a year ago.

However, production in Karnataka was up 8% at 3,45,000 tonne in the review period.

During October-February this year, mills manufactured around 1.1 million tonne of raw sugar. About 6,00,000 tonnes of raw sugar has been exported, ISMA said.

The industry body said mills dispatched 10 mt for sale in the domestic market between October and February of this year compared to about 9.6 mt in the year-ago period.