Sugar production till 30th November, 2019 in the current 2019-20 SS is 18.85 lac tons, which was 40.69 lac tons last year on 30th November 2018. As compared to 418 sugar factories which were crushing sugarcane last year on 30th November, 2018, 279 sugar mills are crushing sugarcane on 30th November, 2019 this year.
In Uttar Pradesh 111 sugar mills were crushing sugarcane on 30th November, 2019 and have produced 10.81 lac tons till that date. At the end of November, 2018 last year, 105 sugar mills were crushing in Uttar Pradesh who had produced 9.14 lac tons.
In Maharashtra, sugar mills started late in the current season on 22nd November 2019. 43 sugar mills have started crushing operations as on 30th November 2019, as compared to 175 sugar mills operated on the corresponding date of last year. Till 30th Nov. 2019, sugar production in the State was 67,000 tons, compared with 18.89 lac tons produced in the State as on 30th November 2018.
In the State of Karnataka 61 sugar mills were crushing on 30th November, 2019 and 5.21 lac tons of sugar was produced. As compared to this, last year as on 30th November, 2018, 63 sugar mills were operating this time who had produced 8.40 lac tons of sugar.
In Gujarat also sugar mills started crushing operations by about 20 days late this year due to excess rainfall in South West Monsoon as well as North East Monsoon as on date. 14 sugar mills were crushing on 30th November, 2019 and they have produced 75,000 tons of sugar. Last year on 30th November, 2018, 16 mills were in operation and they had produced 2.05 lac tons of sugar.
Crushing operations in all the other States have also begun and the pace of crushing is picking up. About 50 sugar mills are operating in other States who have produced 1.41 lac tons in this season upto 30th November, 2019, which in the previous season was 2.21 lac tons, when 60 mills were operating as on 30th November, 2018.
As per trade and market sources, about 15 lac tons of sugar have been contracted for exports, which includes contracts made with port based refiners by sugar mills. Major destinations for sugar exports are Iran, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, African countries etc.
Ex-mill sugar prices in Northern States continue to remain between Rs. 3250-3300 per quintal for the last couple of months and in Western and Southern States, it is hovering around Rs. 3100-3250 per quintal. As per the information of State Governments, sugar mills were having cane price arrears of about Rs. 5000 crore pertaining to 2018-19 SS as on 30th Nov. 2019, as compared to cane price arrears of Rs. 8000 crore on 30th November last year, pertaining to 2017-18 SS.