Sugar production reaches 29.91 mln tons in Oct-Apr of 2020-21: ISMA

New Delhi, The country”s sugar production has reached 29.91 million tonne till April of the ongoing 2020-21 marketing season, industry body ISMA said on Monday. With regard to sugar exports, mills have contracted for shipments of 5.4 to 5.5 million tonne so far. Out of which, 3.5 million tonne has been exported, while another 1 million tonne is expected to be done by this month, it said. On ethanol, Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) said mills have supplied 117.72 crore litres of ethanol to oil marketing companies till April 19 of this year against the total contracted quantity of 302.53 crore litres, it added. Releasing updated production figures, ISMA said mills across the country have produced 29.91 million tonne of sugar during the October-April period of the 2020-21 marketing season (October-September). ISMA has estimated sugar production to be 30.2 million tonne in the 2020-21 marketing season, higher than 27.42 million tonne achieved in the previous season. As per the ISMA data, Sugar production in Uttar Pradesh, the country”s largest sugar-producing state, remained slightly lower at 10.56 million tonne till April of this year, as against 11.65 million tonne in the year-ago period. Whereas the output in Maharashtra, the country”s second-largest sugar producer, rose substantially to 10.56 million tonne from 6.09 million tonne in the said period. Similarly, output in Karnataka, the country”s third-largest sugar-producing state, rose to 4.16 million tonne till April of this year as against 3.38 million tonne in the year-ago period. Most mills in these key producing states are expected to close their operations in the next fortnight or so. In Karnataka, few mills might operate in the special season commencing July. Bihar, Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Rajasthan and Odisha have already closed crushing operations, while one mill each is operating in Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand. On sugar exports, ISMA said there has been a positive response to the government”s decision to swap the quota of sugar allocated for mandatory exports and for domestic sales during this year. The government has already reallocated 1.05 million tonne of sugar and an additional 1,00,000 tonne has been reallocated as per mill-wise export performance, it said. On ethanol, about 7.36 per cent ethanol blending with petrol has been achieved on an average in the country, while 11 states like Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka have done higher blending up to 10 per cent. About 117.72 crore litres of ethanol has been supplied to OMCs so far against the contracted quantity of 302.53 crore litres this year, it added. PTI