PRESS RELEASE

• Out of 520 sugar mills which were operational during crushing season 2012-13, only 255 sugar mills are still crushing sugarcane at the end of March, 2013. Last year, during same corresponding period, 47 more sugar mills were crushing sugarcane.
• Crushing operations in most parts of the country is coming to an end. States like Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab and Madhya Pradesh will soon be completely closing their crushing in about a week’s time.
• Till end of March 2013, country has produced 230.5 lakh tonnes of sugar by crushing about 2285 lakh tonnes of sugarcane with 10.09% recovery. Till date sugar production is about 2% less than last year. During last year, the country had produced 234.5 lakh tonnes of sugar with about 0.2 % better recoveries.
• Maharashtra has produced 77 lakh tonnes of sugar which is about 4% less than last year. About 116 sugar mills have closed, as against only 51 mills, which closed last year during same corresponding period. Sugar recovery of 11.33% as reported, is less by 0.2% from the last year’s recovery of 11.53%.
• Uttar Pradesh has crushed about 739 lakh tonnes of sugarcane with 9.13% recovery to produce 67.5 lakh tonnes of sugar at the end of March, 2013. About 19 mills have already closed so far and it is expected that season’s crushing will be over in a month’s time. Last year during same period, Uttar Pradesh produced about 66.7 lakh tonnes of sugar at lesser recoveries, when only 61 mills were under operation in 2011-12 at same time, as against 102 mills currently.
• Karnataka’s crushing season is almost over with only 7 sugar mills still working. This is out of a total of 58 operational sugar mills during the season. State has produced 32.9 lakh tonnes of sugar with 10.44% recovery. As compared to last year, this year sugar production is about 7% less with about 0.5% less reported recoveries.
• Tamil Nadu has produced 13.5 lakh tonnes of sugar, when 7 mills have already closed their operations. However, last year the State has produced 3% less sugar when almost no mill had closed during same corresponding period. AP has produced 9.7 lakh tonnes of sugar which is about 7% less than last year.
• ISMA has estimated 246 lakh tonnes of sugar production, which will be about 16 lakh tones more than the against expected Government’s releases of 230 lakh tonnes of sugar for the season 2012-13.