Sugar exporters have signed 45-50 lakh tonnes of contracts for export so far with six lakh tonnes being physically exported till November 30, the Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA), a body of private mills, has said.
ISMA said market reports suggested that another about 8-9 lakh tonnes of sugar are in the pipeline to be exported this month, thereby total exports by the end of this month could be around 15 lakh tonnes.
Sugar production in India till December 15 in the current season to September is 82.1 lakh tonnes against 77.9 lakh tonnes produced during the same period a year ago.
While sugar production is higher by over 4 lakh tonnes, the number of operating factories is also higher at 497 against 479 a year ago.
In Uttar Pradesh, 116 operating factories have produced 20.3 lakh tonnes of sugar, while Maharashtra has surpassed Uttar Pradesh with 193 operating factories producing 22 lakh tonnes of sugar. In Karnataka, 73 mills have produced 18.9 lakh tonnes of sugar. The production figures issued by ISMA are after diversion of sugar into ethanol.