PUNE: According to the preliminary estimates of industry body Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA), India's 2016-17 sugar production is likely to decline by 7.3% mainly on account of a severe fall in production expected in Maharashtra, the top sugar producing state in the country.
ISMA estimates production of 232.6 lakh tonnes of sugar in the season 2016-17, down by 7.3% as compared to sugar production of about 251 lakh tonnes in 2014-15. ISMA will give its first estimate of sugar production for 2016-17 in September, by which time, the rainfall situation in the country will become clearer.
A release from ISMA stated, "Based on the satellite images procured in the latter part of June 2016, the total acreage under sugarcane in the country is estimated to be around 49.91 lakh hectares in 2016-17, down by 5.5% compared to 2014-15 sugar season's cane area of around 52.84 lac ha."
Maharashtra's cane area has declined in 2016-17 due to the drought in the state. ISMA expects more than 26% reducation in the area under sugarcane in Maharashtra; from 10.5 lakh ha. in 2015-16 to 7.80 lakh ha in 2016-17. As a result, sugar production is estimated to be around 61.5 lakh tonnes in 2016-17, as against 84.08 lakh tonnes produced in 2015-16, a fall of about 26%.
Like Maharashtra, area under sugarcane in Karnataka in 2016-17 is expected to be about 4.15 lakh ha as against 5.10 lakh ha. in 2015-16. Karnataka's 2016-17 sugar production is estimated to be decline by 21% to 32.2 lakh tonnes, as against 40.71 lakh tonnes expected to be produced in 2015-16.