MEDIA RELEASE: SUGAR PRODUCTION UPTO 15^TH JANUARY, 2016

Sugar production in the country is in full swing. Till 15^th Jan, 2016, 488 mills in the country have produced 110.90 lakh tons of sugar, 7.08 lac tons higher than the sugar production of last year on the corresponding date. In 2014-15 SS, there were 494 sugar mills in operation on 15^th January 2015 that had produced 103.82 lac tons.

The sugar mills have started their cane crushing operations earlier this year, and, therefore, despite lower availability of sugarcane as compared to last year, sugar production till now is higher.

As compared to 2014-15 SS, sugar production in Karnataka, U.P. and Maharashtra in the current season till 15^th January, 2016, is higher by 3.4 lac tons, 2 lac tons and 1 lac ton, respectively.  Most of the sugar mills in Maharashtra will close earlier this year as compared to last season, mainly because of lower cane production therein.

Maharashtra has crushed about 415.9 lac tons of sugarcane with 168 sugar mills under crushing operation. Till 15^th Jan, 2015, Maharashtra has produced 44 lac tons of sugar with 10.6% recovery.  Last year till date, 173 sugar mills were operational which crushed about 404.5 lac tons of sugarcane to produce 43 lac tons of sugar.

In Uttar Pradesh, 116 sugar mills are in operation during the current 2015-16 SS and these have produced 27.07 lac tons of sugar till 15^th January, 2016.  In 2014-15 SS, as on 15^th January, 2015, 118 sugar mills were in operation and they had produced 25 lac tons of sugar. 

The other major sugar producing State viz. Karnataka has produced 21.12 lac tons of sugar till 15^th January, 2016 and there are 64 sugar mills in operation as on that date.  In 2014-15 SS, as on 15^th January 2015, 63 mills were in operation who had produced 17.71 lac tons of sugar.

In Tamil Nadu, 25 sugar mills are in operation and they have produced 1.60 lac tons of sugar till 15^th January, 2016.  This is 0.50 lac tons higher than the sugar production of last year same period, when 20 sugar mills were in operation.

Gujarat has produced 5.70 lac tons of sugar till 15^th January 2016 with 20 sugar mills in operation.  Last year, 19 sugar mills were in operation on 15^th January 2015 and they had produced 4.97 lac tons of sugar.

In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, as compared to last year, 4 sugar mills have not started crushing operations during 2015-16 SS.  As on 15^th January 2016, 26 sugar mills have produced 3.27 lac tons of sugar as against 3.99 lac tons produced by 30 mills in 2014-15 SS on 15^th January, 2015.

As regards other States, as on 15^th January 2016, similar number of mills are in operation during 2015-16 SS and they have produced 2.20 lac tons in Bihar, 1.05 lac tons in Uttarakhand, 1.70 lac tons in Punjab, 1.60 lac tons in Haryana, 1.40 lac tons in Madhya Pradesh.

As per information available, sugar mills have contracted for export of 9 lac tons of sugar against 80% of MIEQ i.e. 32 lac tons fixed by Government of India.  Against this, about 7 lac tons of sugar have been moved from sugar mills for exports. 

The satellite images of cane area harvested and remaining cane in the fields across the country would be procured by ISMA this week.  On the basis of these images, a good idea of the yields and sugar recoveries achieved till now can be assessed to understand the trend.  On that basis, ISMA will review its first advance production estimates made in September 2015, for 2015-16 SS in its meeting to be held on 22^nd January, 2016.  Accordingly, ISMA will come out with its revised estimates in the form of its 2^nd advance estimates.