An empowered group of ministers is likely to meet on November 16-17 for considering a proposal to allow sugar exports for this marketing year that started last month, Food Minister Mr K V Thomas said on Tuesday.

With India’s sugar production estimated at 25-26 million tonnes in the current 2011-12 marketing year against an annual demand of 22 million tonnes, the sugar industry has been demanding exports of four million tonnes of sweetener.

“We will work out a scheme for export of certain quantity of sugar, which will be favourable to both the industry and the farmers,” Mr Thomas told reporters here.

He said the issue would be discussed in the meeting of the empowered group of ministers (eGoM) on food, headed by Finance Minister Mr Pranab Mukherjee, on November 16-17.

Mr Thomas said he met Agriculture Minister Mr Sharad Pawar this morning and had a wider discussion on sugar production as well as exports.

“We have no problem with exports of certain quantity. We will work out a scheme for November and December of this year,” the minister added.

In 2010-11 marketing year (October-September), the government had allowed 2.6 million tonnes of sugar exports, of which 1.5 million tonnes were under Open General Licence (OGL) in three equal tranches.

Sugar production in India - the world’s second largest producer and biggest consumer - rose to 24.3 million tonnes in 2010-11 from nearly 19 million tonnes in the previous year.

In this marketing year, the government has pegged output at 25 million tonnes, while the industry estimates the production at 26 million tonnes.

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