26 October 2022, New Delhi: India eyes top spot in sugar production and export for the 2022-23 season on the global front and surpass last year’s record. Sugarcane crushing season started in Maharashtra from October 15 this year.
Shekhar Gaikwad, Maharashtra sugar commissioner, said, “The sugarcane area is almost same like last year. We expect to remain top in India with record sugar production like previous year. India is aiming to lead in highest sugar export at the international level.”
Gaikwad said, “In 2021-22, total area under sugarcane was 1.488 million hectares in Maharashtra and 200 crushing factories. This year the figure is 1.487 million hectares and 203 factories. Sugar production last year was 137.36 lakh tonne and we expect 138 lakh metric tonne in present fiscal.”
The state official said that Maharashtra was the highest sugar exporter in the country last season (2021-22) with 5.9 million tonne and this year’s target is 6 million tonne. India’s sugar export target would be 10 million tonne with Maharashtra’s share being 60 per cent.” Maharashtra’s sugar production and export is larger than many sugar producing countries across the globe. India surpasses Brazil as the world’s largest sugar producer and second largest exporter country.
