19 February 2022, New Delhi: Sugar exports in the first four months of the current season (October 2021-September 22) have jumped 242 per cent on robust demand.
Shipments during the October-January period stood at 31.5 lakh tonnes (lt) compared with 9.2 lt in the same period a year ago, according to the Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA), the apex body of private millers.
Exporters have contracted around 50 lt for shipments, so far. Further, it is reported that over eight lakh tonnes of sugar is in pipeline to be exported this month . Further, ISMA said sugar output till mid February was up 5.6 per cent at 220.91 lt (209.11 lt).
Of the 516 sugar mills that had started crushing in 2021-22 sugar season, 13 have stopped their crushing operations so far. Last year, 496 sugar mills were in operation, of which 32 had stopped crushing in the corresponding date last year.
In Maharashtra, the sugar production till February 15 was 14 per cent more at 86.15 lt (75.46 lt).
However, in Uttar Pradesh, sugar production in the current season is trailing last year’s level. As of mid-February, sugar output in the State was about 9 per cent lower at 59.32 lt (65.13 lt).
In Karnataka, the sugar output was higher by 15 per cent at 44.85 lakh tonnes till mid-February as compared with 39.07 lakh tonnes.
Also in Gujarat, production was higher at 6.91 lt (6.55 lt), while in Tamil Nadu production has increased to 3.60 lt (2.47 lt).
The remaining States of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Odisha have collectively produced 20.08 lt till mid-February.
Ethanol allocation
On the ethanol front, ISMA said out of the requirement of 95 crore litres given by the oil marketing companies (OMCs) in the fourth cycle, about 39 crore litres have been offered by the suppliers. OMCs are currently examining the bids and are expected to do the allocations shortly. However, for the 2021-22 ethanol supply year, OMCs have already allocated about 385 crore litres of ethanol from different feed stocks.
