ISMA lowers India's 2022-23 sugar production estimate by 6.8%

Industry body Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) today revised its sugar production estimate for 2022-23 downwards by 6.84% over its earlier estimate issued in October. It has now pegged the country's sugar production at 340 lakh tonnes after considering diversion of 45 lakh tonnes of sugar for production of ethanol, down by 25 lakh tonnes from its previous estimate of 365 lakh tonnes.

ISMA has said that it has revised the production estimate based on the satellite images of harvested and balance area, field visits, current trend of yields and sugar recoveries achieved till now, as also expected yield/sugar recovery in the balance period of the sugar season.

According to ISMA, the area planted under sugarcane in the country has increased by 6%. In its October estimate, after considering the diversion of 45 lakh tonnes to ethanol, ISMA had pegged the sugar production at 365 lakh tonnes. However, on Tuesday, ISMA revised the production estimate downwards to 340 lakh tonnes. "Post diversion of 45 lakh tonne to ethanol due to diversion of cane juice / syrup and B-molasses to ethanol, ISMA estimates sugar production in 2022-23 at around 340 lakh tonnes of sugar," said ISMA in a release.