Sugar production falls more than one million tones to 29.96 mn tonnes till 31 March

In the current sugar season (October, 2022-September 2023) country's sugar production falls more than one million tonne as on 31 March from the same period last year. Sugar production remained at 29.96 million tonne till March 31,2023 of the ongoing sugar year, industry body ISMA said on Wednesday. Sugar production stood at 30.99 million tonne in the same period of the 2021-22 sugar year.

According to the Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) in the current sugar season, 532 mills started their operations so far across the country, against 518 mills which operated last season, as on 31^st March. On the corresponding date, 338 mills have closed their crushing operations in the current season, while 194 sugar mills were still operating in the country. However, in the last season 2021-22, 152 mills had closed their crushing operations and 366 mills were operating as on 31^st March’2022.

The production in Maharashtra -- the country's leading producer of the sweetener -- remained lower at 10.42 million tonne during October, 2022-March 31, 2023 of the ongoing sugar season compared to 11.88 million tonne in the year-ago period.

The production in Karnataka too, the country's third largest sugar-producing state, showed a marginal decline to 5.52 million tonne as against 5.72 million tonne during the comparable period, ISMA said in a statement.

Sugar output in Uttar Pradesh, the country's second-largest producer of the sweetener, however, remained marginally higher at 8.9 million tonne till March 31, 2023 of the ongoing sugar season against 8.75 million tonne in the year-ago period.

The production in other states remained slightly higher at 5.12 million tonne compared to 4.64 million tonne. In January, ISMA revised downwards its sugar production estimate for 2022-23 to 34 million tonne over its earlier estimate of 36.5 million tonne issued in October 2022. Sugar production stood at 35.8 million tonne in the 2021-22 marketing year.