Sugar production in the country is in full swing. Till January15, 2016, 488 mills in the country have produced 110.90 lakh tons of sugar, 7.08 lac tons higher than the sugar production of last year on the corresponding date. In 2014-15 Sugar Season(SS) , there were 494 sugar mills in operation on 15th January 2015 that had produced 103.82 lac tons.
According to ISMA, the sugar mills have started their cane crushing operations earlier this year, and, therefore, despite lower availability of sugarcane as compared to last year, sugar production till now is higher.
As compared to 2014-15 SS, sugar production in Karnataka, U.P. and Maharashtra in the current season till 15th January, 2016, is higher by 3.4 lac tons, 2 lac tons and 1 lac ton, respectively. Most of the sugar mills in Maharashtra will close earlier this year as compared to last season, mainly because of lower cane production therein.
Maharashtra has crushed about 415.9 lac tons of sugarcane with 168 sugar mills under crushing operation. Till January 15, 2015, Maharashtra has produced 44 lac tons of sugar with 10.6 percent recovery. Last year till date, 173 sugar mills were operational which crushed about 404.5 lac tons of sugarcane to produce 43 lac tons of sugar.
In Uttar Pradesh, 116 sugar mills are in operation during the current 2015-16 SS and these have produced 27.07 lac tons of sugar till 15th January, 2016. In 2014-15 SS, as on 15th January, 2015, 118 sugar mills were in operation and they had produced 25 lac tons of sugar.
The other major sugar producing State viz. Karnataka has produced 21.12 lac tons of sugar till 15th January, 2016 and there are 64 sugar mills in operation as on that date. In 2014-15 SS, as on 15th January 2015, 63 mills were in operation who had produced 17.71 lac tons of sugar.
In Tamil Nadu, 25 sugar mills are in operation and they have produced 1.60 lac tons of sugar till 15th January, 2016. This is 0.50 lac tons higher than the sugar production of last year same period, when 20 sugar mills were in operation.
Gujarat has produced 5.70 lac tons of sugar till 15th January 2016 with 20 sugar mills in operation. Last year, 19 sugar mills were in operation on 15th January 2015 and they had produced 4.97 lac tons of sugar.
As regards other States, as on 15th January 2016, similar number of mills are in operation during 2015-16 SS and they have produced 2.20 lac tons in Bihar, 1.05 lac tons in Uttarakhand, 1.70 lac tons in Punjab, 1.60 lac tons in Haryana, 1.40 lac tons in Madhya Pradesh.
As per information available, sugar mills have contracted for export of 9 lac tons of sugar against 80 percent of Minimum Indicative Export Quotas(MIEQ) i.e. 32 lac tons fixed by Government of India. Against this, about 7 lac tons of sugar have been moved from sugar mills for exports.
