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Sugar production in the country in October 2016 -- the first month of the ongoing sugar season -- dropped sharply by 44 per cent to 1.04 lakh tonnes compared to the same month last year as Maharashtra and Gujarat delayed production.
“In all, 28 mills have started crushing as on October 31 2016, as against 65 in 2015-16 sugar season same time,” according to industry body Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA).
During 2016-17, Maharashtra mills delayed their crushing operations to get the cane matured further to get better sugar recovery from standing cane, according to an official release.
“These mills are now expected to start crushing from November 5, 2016. Similarly, Gujarat mills are expected to start this week,” the release added.
With the carryover stock of 77 lakh tonnes as on October 1 2016 and estimated sugar production of 234 lakh tonnes, total sugar available in the country during 2016-17 sugar season would be around 311 lakh tonnes against the estimated consumption of 255 lakh tonnes, according to ISMA estimates.
Closing stock at the end of the season is expected at 56 lakh tonnes, which would be sufficient to meet two-and-a-half-months consumption in the initial period of 2017-18, it added.
In Karnataka, 19 sugar mills had started their crushing operations in October 2016 against 12 operated last year in the same month. However, sugar production in the State till October 31 2016 was 69,000 tonnes, which was 12,000 tonnes lower than the sugar produced during the same period last season.
In Tamil Nadu, four sugar mills were in operation as on October 31, 2016 and sugar production was 20,000 tonnes compared with 31,000 tonnes produced by 8 mills in 2015-16 SS up to October 31, 2015.
Three mills in Uttar Pradesh had also started crushing from the second fortnight of October 2016 and these mills were estimated to have produced 12,000 tonnes up to October 31. During 2015-16, only one mill in the State was operational in October and its production was negligible.
One sugar mill each in Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh have started their operations with estimated sugar production of 3,000 tonnes.
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