PRESS RELEASE

·                  As on 15^th December, 2015, 440 sugar mills were crushing sugarcane for the year 2015-16 SS, and they have produced 47.86 lac tons of sugar till that date, i.e. 5.57 lac tons (13.2%) higher than the sugar production on the corresponding date of previous sugar season, when 453 sugar mills had produced 42.29 lac tons of sugar. 

·                  In Maharashtra, 164 sugar mills are in operation and they have produced 22.50 lac tons of sugar till 15^th December, 2015.  In 2014-15 SS, there were 166 sugar mills in operation as on 15^th December, 2014 and they had produced 20.73 lac tons. 

·                  In Uttar Pradesh, 105 out of 119 working sugar mills have commenced crushing operations.  As on 15^th December, 2015, 105 sugar mills have produced 8.52 lac tons of sugar, as compared to 7.94 lac tons produced by 114 sugar mills as on 15^th December, 2014 during last 2014-15 SS.

·                  The third largest producer of sugar viz. Karnataka, have produced 10.29 lac tons of sugar till 15^th December, 2015.  This is about 3.23 lac tons higher than the sugar production in 2014-15 SS as on 15^th December, 2014.  During the current 2015-16 SS, 61 sugar mills are in operation as on 15^th December, as compared to 62 operated on the corresponding date of 2014.

·                  As regards Gujarat, all the 19 sugar mills are in operation and they have produced 3.25 lac tons of sugar till 15^th December, 2015.  In 2014-15 SS, as on 15^th December, 2014, 18 sugar mills were in operation and they produced 2.68 lac tons of sugar till that date.

·                  In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, 18 sugar mills could start crushing till 15^th December, 2015, as compared to 23 operated as on 15^th December, 2014.  Sugar mills in these States have produced 0.92 lac tons of sugar, as compared to 1.35 lac tons produced by 23 sugar mills on 15^th December, 2014.

·                  There are 6 sugar mills in Tamil Nadu in operation and sugar production till 15^th December, 2015 was 0.60 lac tons, as compared to 0.35 lac tons produced by 7 sugar mills as on 15^th December, 2014.

·                  In regard to Bihar, Punjab, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh, there are 11, 16, 14 and 16 sugar mills are in operation respectively and they have produced 0.54 lac tons, 0.20 lac tons, 0.40 lac tons and 0.30 lac tons, respectively.

·                  As per reports, about 2.5 lac tons of sugar have been physically exported by sugar mills. Contracts have been entered into for about 5 lac tons till 15^th December, 2015 in the current sugar season. 

·                  Though there has been slight increase in domestic ex-mill price of sugar, yet sugar mills across the country are still losing Rs. 2 to 3 per kilo over their cost of production of sugar.