sugar production in the current 2019-20 crushing season fell by 30 per cent to 7.8 million tonnes (MT) till December 31, 2019 compared to 11.2 MT during the same period in 2018, mills have signed sugar export contracts worth 2.5 mt.The season offically began in october, though cane crushing began later in various states.

The central government is reviewing the actual export by mills against their"Maximum Admissible Export Quantity" (MEAQ) and, as announced in the latest policy, is to re-allocate the unexported MAEQ to mills which have made shipments and are willing to take on additional quotas. 

Indian Sugar Association Director Abinash Verma said it would be difficult to forecast the final export figure. He'd earlier said if the global market remained favourable, there was potential for five mt of exports this season. The major destinations have been Srilanka, Afghanistan, and Africa. At, present, 437mills are in operations across India, compared to 507 during the 2018-19 season, Maharashtra, the country's second largest producer after uttar pradesh, saw a big delay in the start of crushing due to inundated fields in cane growing areas following heavy rains and floods