Sugar production falls by 2% at 230.5 LT in H1 2012-13

NEW DELHI: Country's sugar production fell by two per cent to 230.5 lakh tonnes in the first six months of the 2012-13 marketing year that started in October last year due to drop in output in Maharashtra and Karnataka.

Sugar production of India, the world's second largest producer after Brazil, stood at 234.5 lakh tonnes in the year ago period.

Sugar marketing year runs from October to September. "Till end of March 2013, country has produced 230.5 lakh tonnes of sugar by crushing about 2285 lakh tonnes of sugarcane with 10.09 per cent recovery. Till date sugar production is about 2 per cent less than last year," Indian Sugar Mills Association ( ISMA) said in a statement.

Maharashtra has produced 77 lakh tonnes of sugar during the period, which is about four per cent less than last year. Karnataka has produced 32.9 lakh tonnes of sugar, which is seven per cent less compared to last year.

The fall in production in Maharashtra and Karnataka is due to drought-like situation in many parts of these two states on account of poor rainfall during 2012 monsoon season.

Sugar production in Uttar Pradesh stood at 67.5 lakh tonnes during October-March period of 2012-13 marketing year against 66.7 lakh tonnes in the year-ago period.

"ISMA has estimated 246 lakh tonnes of sugar production in the full 2012-13 marketing year as against 263 lakh tonnes in the previous year.

ISMA, however said, that production would be about 16 lakh tonnes more than the expected sugar quota to be released by the government at 230 lakh tonnes for 2012-13. PTI MJH TVS 0