India’s sugar production declined 1.19 per cent to 25.53 million tonne (MT) so far in the ongoing 2023-24 marketing year. Sugar production stood at 25.84 MT till February in the year-ago period. Sugar marketing year runs from October to September.
In its second estimate, the Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) has projected sugar output to decline by 10 per cent to 33.05 MT in the current 2023-24 marketing year as against 36.62 MT in the previous year.
Sugar output in Uttar Pradesh was higher at 7.81 MT till February of the ongoing marketing year as against 7 MT in the period under review. The production in Maharashtra was down at 9.09 MT till February of this marketing year, compared with 9.51 MT in the year-ago period. Similarly, the production in Karnataka was down at 4.7 MT from 5.12 MT in the period. Sugar output reached 7,70,000 tonne in Gujarat and 5,80,000 tonne in Tamil Nadu so far this marketing year. Around 466 factories were operating till February of the current marketing year as against 447 in the year-ago period.