Sugar output dips marginally to 28.08 mt until Mar 15 in 2023-24 season, says ISMA

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Sugar production in the country reached 280.79 lakh tonnes (lt) until March 15 in the current sugar season that started in October 2023, according to industry data released on Monday. The output was 282.60 lt in the year-ago period.

Releasing the update on the production figures, Indian Sugar & Bio-energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA) said that the number of factories operating as on March 15 this year was at 371 as against 325 mills on the same day last year.

Sugar production in Uttar Pradesh reached 88.40 lt as against 79.63 lt during the same period last season. In Maharashtra, it fell marginally to 100.50 lt from 101.92 lt, and in Karnataka to 47.55 lt from 53.50 lt. The production in other States was reported at 44.34 lt as against 47.55 lt in the year-ago period. Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka are the top three sugar producers in the country.

ISMA has already pegged sugar production at around 323 lt for the 2023-24 marketing year after the diversion of 17 lt towards ethanol manufacturing via sugarcane juice/B-heavy molasses. The net sugar production was at 328.2 lt during the 2022-23 marketing year with a diversion of 38 lt of sweetener for ethanol-making from sugarcane juice and B-heavy molasses.

The gross production of sugar, in terms of sucrose, is seen to be 340 lt in the current season ending September 30, against 366.2 lt in the previous year. Earlier, the industry body had estimated the gross sugar production (without diversion for ethanol) at 330.5 lt for 2023-24 season.