NEW DELHI, Jan 2: Sugar production in India has experienced a 16% decline, totaling 95.40 lakh tonnes during the first quarter of the current marketing year starting in October, primarily due to reduced output in Maharashtra, as per the data released by the Indian Sugar and Bio-Energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA) on Thursday. In comparison, mills produced 113.01 lakh tonnes in the same period last year. It’s important to note that the production figures do not include sugar diverted for ethanol production.
The ISMA indicated that the crushing rates in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Karnataka showed improvement compared to last year. However, Uttar Pradesh faced a temporary setback in the last week of December 2024 due to rain-related disruptions in cane supply.
During this first quarter, 493 sugar mills were operational, down from 512 factories the previous year. Uttar Pradesh, being the largest sugar producer in the country, reported a production reduction to 32.80 lakh tonnes this year, down from 34.35 lakh tonnes last year. Similarly, Maharashtra’s production fell sharply to 30 lakh tonnes from 38.20 lakh tonnes, while Karnataka’s output decreased to 20.40 lakh tonnes from 24.91 lakh tonnes.
ISMA is expected to release its second advance estimates of sugar production by the end of January. Additionally, the industry organization forecasts a decline in domestic sugar consumption, predicting it to be around 280 lakh tonnes for the 2024-25 marketing year. (PTI)
