Production down: Sugar production in the country fell by 2.48% to 22.36 million tonnes

Sugar production in the country during the ongoing marketing year 2023-24 fell by 2.48% to 22.36 million tonnes till February 15. While the production of sugar during the same period last year was 22.93 million tonnes.

According to the second estimate by the Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA), sugar production in the country may decline by 10% to 33.05 million tonnes during the current marketing year 2023-24 from 36.62 million tonnes during the same period last year.

According to ISMA, in the current marketing year till February 15, sugar production was reported low in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu. However, sugar production in Uttar Pradesh, the country’s second largest producing state, was 6.77% higher than last year’s 6.12 million tonnes. While production in Maharashtra was recorded at 7.94 million tonnes as against 8.59 million tonnes last year.

Karnataka, the country’s third largest producer state, saw production fall to 4.32 million tonnes during the marketing year 2023-24 from 4.6 million tonnes during the same period last year. Sugar production in Gujarat was recorded at 6,85,000 while Tamil Nadu sugar production has been 4,50,000 million tonnes in the current marketing year so far.

As of February 15 this year, a total of 505 factories were operating across the country as against 502 in the same period last year.