The country’s sugar production is estimated to have risen by 15 per cent to 8.4 million tonnes as on January 15 in the current crop year.
“Production is about 8.4 mt, about 15 per cent more than what the country had produced in the same period last year,” a senior government official told presspersons here.
The Government has estimated total sugar production at 24.5 mt in the ongoing 2010-11 crop year (October-September), against 19 mt in the previous crop year.
The country’s annual suagr demand is pegged at 23 mt.
Meanwhile, the Food Secretary, Mr B.C. Gupta, said, “I am optimistic about sugar production, we will review the production sometime early next month.”
Currently, sugar prices in the retail market are ruling at Rs 31-33 a kg. In the wake of rising inflation, the Government had recently put on hold the export of 5 lakh tonnes of sugar under the Open General Licence scheme.