Id: 12 Name: Media Release Delhi Venue: New Delhi Date: 17 Jan 2012 Event Pdf: PRESS RELEASE Sugar industry has produced 104.5 lakh tons of sugar upto 15th January, 2012 in the current sugar season, which is around 17 lakh tons more than the sugar production upto 15th January of last year of 87.68 lakh tons. This shows an increase of 19% on a period to period comparison. Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka have shown an increase of almost 22% over last year till date in their sugar production data. Higher sugar production of Uttar Pradesh till 15th January, 2012 is mainly because of the fact that the sugar mills in U.P. had to start their crushing much earlier than usual, as directed by the State Government. Arrival of Gur in UP mandis is also less by about 17% till Dec, 2011 compared to last year, which clearly shows lesser diversion of cane to local sweetener for manufacturing gur resulting in more cane availability to sugar mills for crushing. U.P has crushed 347 lakh tons of sugarcane till 15th January, 2012 in comparison to 271 lakh tons of sugarcane last year upto the same period. Though the quantum of cane crushing is higher, the early crushing has affected the recovery which is lower at 8.49% till 15th January, 2012 in comparison to 8.85% last year. The situation in Maharashtra is slightly different where the cane crushing upto 15th January, 2012 was 346 lakh tons in comparison to 315 lakh tons crushed last year upto the same period. But due to higher recovery of 10.71% achieved this year as compared to 10.25% last year, the sugar production is higher. The state is expecting lower cane yield but the increase in area under cane and much higher sugar recovery compensates for the lower yield and the production in Maharashtra may be similar or higher to last year. The number of sugar factories crushing as on 15th January, 2012 was 516 in comparison to 498 as on 15th January, 2011.