Amid export ban sugar production dip by 20 percent in state

Bengaluru : India's third largest sugarcane producer Karnataka is likely to report a 20 per cent decline in sugar production in the sugar marketing year 2023-24 (ending September 2024) due to lack of southwest monsoon rains. This is known from the calculation so far. It is also reported that there is a possibility of requesting sugar mills in the state to postpone sugarcane crushing for some time as sugarcane takes time to ripen.

According to a report in July 2023, 55% of the sugarcane growing districts of Karnataka are deficient in rainfall. In neighboring Maharashtra, this percentage is higher at 71 percent. These states witness normal rainfall in the month of September. In the 2022-23 sugar marketing year, Karnataka's production is expected to increase to 5.7 million tonnes from the previous estimate of 5.6 million tonnes. Production declined in Maharashtra in 2022-23 to 10.5 million tonnes from 12.2 million tonnes in the previous year.

Karnataka has 71 sugar mills, of which the maximum number (24) is in Belgaum district. India's sugar production will be 32.8 million tonnes in 2022-23 and 31.7 million tonnes in 2023-24, the Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) reported, quoting the president. ISMA estimates domestic consumption at 27.5 million tonnes. In the sugar marketing year 2022-23, the country has exported 6.1 million tonnes of sugar. But it is being said that exports may be cut to prevent a possible rise in sugar prices this year.

Meanwhile, the global sugar market too has already seen lower than expected production in India. Brazil, the largest exporter of sugar, has also seen a decline in production this time.