Id: 112 Name: Media Release - Sugar Production figure upto 31st March, 2014 Venue: New Delhi Date: 02 Apr 2014 Event Pdf: Till 31st March, 2014, a total of 215 lakh tons of sugar has been produced in the season 2013-14.  This is about 16 lakh tons less than the last year’s sugar production of 231 lakh tons during same corresponding period.  330 mills are still crushing sugarcane on 31st March, 2014 against 231 mills during the same period last year. Maharashtra has produced 70.1 lakh tons of sugar, which is about 9% less than last year to-date production of about 77.3 lakh tons.  85 mills are still crushing against 42 in last year during the same period.  This year, 157 mills, as compared to 170 mills in last year, were operational during the season.  Till 31st March, 2014, total 621 lakh tons of sugarcane has been crushed with an average of 11.3% recovery as against 680 lakh tons with 11.34% recovery in last year. Uttar Pradesh has crushed about 628 lakh tons of sugarcane at 9.21% average recovery to produce about 58 lakh tons of sugar.  However during same period last year, 714 lakh tons of sugarcane were crushed at 9.12% average recovery to produce 67 lakh tons of sugar.  Till date, there is a fall of 13% in sugar production, which is due to poor yields and higher diversion to alternate sweeteners manufacturing industry.  About 86 mills are still crushing as against 98 mills last year. Karnataka has produced 37.5 lakh tons of sugar as against 33.6 lakh tons during same time last year.  The year-on-year increase of 12% is on the account of better yields and good recovery till date, which has been due to the fact that pre-seasonal planting has received two good monsoon rains, one as 2012 retrieving rainfall and other 2013 SW monsoon rainfall.  43 mills are still crushing sugarcane as against only 4 at the same time last year.  This year 61 mills were under operations against 60 last year during the whole season. Andhra Pradesh produced 9.40 lakh tons of sugar as against 9.66 lakh tons last year.  12 mills are still crushing sugarcane, but may close in the next 15 days or so.  Tamil Nadu has produced 9.50 lakh tons of sugar, which is about 28% less than last year.  It is expected that this gap will remain almost the same throughout the season with little turn around during the special crushing season. Sugarcane farmers in major sugar producing States are yet to be paid about Rs.15,000 crore of cane price payments for the total cane purchased till now in the current sugar season, of which Rs 10,500 crore pertains to Uttar Pradesh and Rs 3300 crore for Karnataka alone.