· After a slow start, sugarcane crushing season 2013-14 has been catching up fast. Till 15th Dec, 2013 about 426 sugar mills have been started crushing against 457 during the same corresponding period last year.
· Country has produced 24.24 lakh tons of sugar till 15th Dec, 2013, which is about 50% less than last year. Production this year was 66% less than last year on 30th November.
· Maharashtra has crushed about 128 lakh tons of sugarcane to produce 12 lakh tons of sugar, which is about 35% lesser than last year. About 150 mills have started crushing against 155 mills of last year, out of which 56 mills are in private sector. Last year, about 170 mills operated to crush about 70 million tons of sugarcane to produce 80 lakh tons of sugar in the full SS 2012-13
· In Uttar Pradesh, 110 sugar mills started crushing against 116 of last year during same time. State has produced about 2.30 lakh tons of sugar which is about 78% less than last year. As of today, total sugarcane arrears of last SS 2012-13 is about Rs. 2246 cr. , on the total crush of 80 mln tons of sugarcane and 75 lakh tons of sugar.
· In Karnataka, 55 sugar mills started crushing against 56 during last year same time. Mills in the state produced 4.75 lakh tons which is about 57% less than last year. In States, like Andhra Pradesh & Tamil Nadu, about 30 & 15 mills have been started, which produced about 0.95 lakh tons and 0.60 lakh tons of sugar which is about 44% & 70% less than last year.
· Starting from 1st Oct, 2013- till 30th Nov, 2013, India has imported about 0.27 lakh tons of sugar, while about 2.27 lakh tons have been exported.
· ISMA has projected about 250 lakh tons of sugar production for the SS 2013-14 against 251.40 lakh tons of sugar production during last SS 2012-13.