Sugar production for 2019-20 projected to be 14% lower at 28 mt

Sugar production in the forthcoming sugar season is projected to be around 28.2 million tonnes (mt), about 4.7 mt, or 14 per cent, lower than the current season’s production of 32.95 mtThe lower production is because of drop in the area under sugarcane cultivation. As per satellite data currently available, the area under sugarcane cultivation is estimated to be 49.31 lakh hectares (lh), about 10 per cent lower than the cane area of 55 lh in the 2018-19 (October 2018 to September 2019) season, ISMA said.

The sugarcane cultivation, on the other hand, is down by 30 per cent in Maharashtra, the second highest pharmaceutical grade sugar producing State as the State was hit by poor rainfall and low water levels in the reservoirs in the State. As against the cane area of 11.54 lh in 2018-19 season, the area is expected to decrease to 8.23 lh in the coming season. Sugar IP production is, therefore, estimated to be around 7 mt in 2019-20 as compared 10.72 mt produced in the current season.

According to the pharma sugar industry body, till June end sugar mills in the country produced 32.81 mt of sugar, which is expected to go up further to 32.95 mt because of more production till September this year.

Source: Hindu Business Line