According to a senior government official, the country's sugar production will be 30.2 million tonnes in the current marketing year, down 800,000 tonnes from the initial projection. Even then, sugar production is projected to be higher than the 27.4 million tonne produced in the marketing year 2019-20. (Between October and September).
"Sugar mills have now produced 23.4 million tonnes of sugar. Crushing operations will end this month in Maharashtra and Karnataka, but will continue in Uttar Pradesh until May ", the official said. The government had forecast sugar production for the existing year at 31 million tonnes based on inputs from cane-producing states.
"However, due to damage to the cane crop caused by unseasonal rains in some areas of Uttar Pradesh, production is estimated to be marginally lower at 30.2 million tonne," the authority said. Sugar production in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, the nation's biggest two sugar-producing states, will be marginally lower than anticipated.
Uttar Pradesh's production is forecast to be 10.2 million tonnes in 2020-21, down from 12.6 million tonnes the previous year. Likewise, Maharashtra's production is forecast to rise to 10.2 million tonnes this year, up from 6.1 million tonnes last year. For the existing year, the original sugar production forecast for both of these two states was 10.5 million tonne.
The source added that sugar production in Karnataka, the nation's 3rd largest sugar-producing state, is projected to rise to 4.7 million tonne in the 2020-21 marketing year from 3.45 million tonne last year. The existing year's production is forecast to surpass the 26 million tonne annual standard. Aside from sugar, mills produce ethanol for use in gasoline blends.
Sugar is also being exported by mills under a quota provided by the government.
