Due to favorable weather in the major growing states, the nation’s sugar production in the current season (2023–24) is probably going to exceed the 32.5 million tonne (MT) forecast last month, the Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) stated on Tuesday.
According to ISMA, the standing cane crop has benefited from recent weather, and cane commissioners in important states like Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Karnataka have revised their projections for sugar production for the 2023–24 season upward by roughly 5–10%.
The country’s sugar production for the 2023–24 season was predicted by ISMA last month to be 32.5 MT, with domestic consumption coming in at about 28.5 MT. In 2022–2023 there was 36.61 MT of sugar produced; this amount does not include diversion for the manufacturing of ethanol.
“The next year crop outlook also appears better than what was thought a month ago,” according to the group. According to ISMA, sugar output for the current season (October-September) ended on January 15, 2024, at 14.95 MT, a 5% decrease over the previous year. This does not include sugar that has been converted to ethanol.
Currently, 520 industries are in operation as opposed to 515 mills a year ago. ISMA has requested the government to permit an additional 1-1.2 MT of sugar to be used in the manufacturing of ethanol due to the higher output prediction. The statement stated, “Closing sugar balance shall be sufficient to cater a couple of months into the next season, even after allowing additional sugar for the production of ethanol.”
Last month, the government decided to allocate 1.7 MT of sugar for ethanol production in the current season against 3.8 MT used for biofuel production in the previous season from both sugarcane juice and molasses.
