After an year of getting decontrolled, sugar output falls 2.5%

NEW DELHI: At the end of a year of getting decontrolled from the government's levy mechanism, India's sugar industry closed its production at 25.1 million tonne, which is slightly less than last year and with a lower recovery.

In its season-end sugar production update for October 2012 - September 2013, the Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) said 526 sugar mills crushed about 250.7 million tonne of sugarcane, which was about 2.5% less sugarcane crushed than the last sugar season, when India crushed 257 million tonne of cane to produce 26.3 million tonne of sugar.

The largest sugar producing state of the country, Maharashtra produced 7.9 million tonne of sugar after crushing 70.1 million tonne of sugarcane, with a total of 172 mills under crushing operation in the whole season. Sugarcane crushing for the season was 9% lower, while sugar production was 11% lower than last year. This is due to a lower sugar recovery in 2012-13 at about 11.41%.

Following it was Uttar Pradesh where there was better sugar recovery. The state produced 7.4 million tonne of sugar, with 122 sugar mills under operation during the season. Mills in Uttar Pradesh crushed 81.5 million tonne of sugarcane and reported 9.18% sugar recovery. UP sugar mills crushed 6% more sugarcane, and produced 7.3% more sugar than last year. Better sugar recovery than last year's of 9.07%, helped in giving slightly more sugar production.

Karnataka crushed 33.3 million tonne of sugarcane to produce 3.4 million tonne of sugar, with 60 mills under crushing operations for the season. In Karnataka, sugarcane crushing was 4.2% lower, while sugar was 10.5% lower than last year. The sugar recovery fell from was 11.14% in 2011-12 to 10.40% in 2012-13. In Karnataka, sugarcane crushing was 4.2% lower, while sugar was 10.5% lower than last year. The sugar recovery fell from was 11.14% in 2011-12 to 10.40% in 2012-13.