From the beginning of the current 2015-16 season and till 30th April 2016, sugar mills have produced 246.03 lac tons of sugar, down 11% as compared to 276.04 lac tons produced in 2014-15 SS at the same corresponding period.
Sugar crushing operations for 2015-16 SS in most parts of the country have come to an end on 30th April 2016. 48 sugar mills are still continuing their crushing operations as on date, as against 97 sugar mills which were operating on the same date last year. Out of the 48, 35 sugar mills still operating are in Tamil Nadu. The other sugar mills are in Karnataka, Maharashtra and Haryana, which may close in next few days.
Sugar mills in U.P. have produced 68 lac tons of sugar till 30th April 2016, as compared to 70.42 lac tons produced on corresponding date in 2014-15 SS. Last year, 14 sugar mills were still operating as on 30th April 2015. However, during the current season only one sugar mill is operating on 30th April 2016. During the current sugar season, cane crushed by sugar mills was about 70 lac tons less, as compared to last season and this is the main reason for drop in sugar production, despite higher recovery.
Maharashtra mills have produced 83.75 lac tons of sugar as on 30th April 2016 with 5 sugar mills still in operation. Last year during the same period, sugar mills in this State had produced 103.47 lac tons with 30 sugar mills in operation.
In Karnataka, almost all the sugar mills have stopped crushing for the season except a couple of mills. Till 30th April 2016, sugar mills in the State have produced 40.37 lac tons of sugar, compared with 48.06 lac tons produced last season at the corresponding date. In 2014-15 SS, about 17 sugar mills were operating as on 30th April 2015. Few mills in Southern Karnataka will again start their crushing operations in July 2016 and few thousand tons of sugar is likely to produced in the remaining period of the current sugar season.
In Tamil Nadu, 35 sugar mills are still operating as on 30th April 2016 and they have produced 10.50 lac tons of sugar, as compared to 9.48 lac tons produced in 2014-15 SS on the same corresponding period, when 23 mills were operating. During the current 2015-16 SS, it is expected that these sugar mills will continue till end of May 2016 and a few mills will again start their special season in July 2016, when a few lac tons of sugar would get produced in Tamil Nadu.
As regards sugar production in other States, Gujarat has produced 11.60 lac tons, Uttarakhand 2.68 lac tons, Bihar 5.01 lac tons, Punjab 6.35 lac tons, Haryana 5.40 lac tons, Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh 3.67 lac tons, Andhra Pradesh & Telangana 8.10 lac tons. In comparison with last season, except Punjab where sugar production in the current season is 1 lac tons more than last season, other States have produced slightly lower.
Considering the number of sugar mills which are in operation as on 30th April 2016 and cane availability in these States, sugar production in the current season is expected to be just above 250 lac tons by the end of September 2016. However, with the carry forward of 90.80 lac tons from previous season and estimated domestic consumption of 256 lac tons & exports of 15 lac tons, sugar mills would still have a carryover stocks of 70 lac tons at the end of the current season.