In sugar, production will be lower in the new season: fear of reduced sugarcane crop in Maharashtra

- Marginal growth in production in first two months of new season starting October: Market eyes Christmas demand

Sugar markets and industries in the country have recently witnessed a rapid reversal of equations. After the last two years of the corona period, instead of the lockdown this year, the process of reopening has progressed rapidly, and the people have celebrated the various festivals this year with great enthusiasm and gaiety. Recently Dussehra-Diwali festivals also witnessed a similar situation after two years and now the sugar market is focusing on Christmas festivals. Market sources said that sugar demand during Dussehra-Diwali was encouraging this year. This year, especially during the festivals, bulk consumer purchases were particularly prominent. Market experts were showing the possibility of such demand increasing even in the coming Christmas festivities. During Christmas, the demand for sugar increases all over the world. Meanwhile, the new sugar season 2022-23 season in the country has started from October. The new sugar season has started from October 2022 and will continue till September 2023.

The new sugar season in the country has completed two months at the end of November. Sources of the Indian Sugar Mills Association said that there has been a marginal growth of about one and a half percent in the production of sugar in the country during these two months. In the first two months of this new season excluding the future quantity towards ethanol production, the production of sugar in the country has been around 47.90 thousand tonnes which was around 47.20 lakh tonnes in this period of the previous season of 2021-22. In two months of this year, sugarcane crushing has started in about 430 to 435 sugar mills in the country which was started in about 415 to 420 sugar mills during this period in the previous season. Thus, more sugar mills have been active in the country in the first two months of the new season this year. This number is likely to increase this month, informants are showing. Meanwhile, according to farmers in Maharashtra, sugarcane production in the state is expected to be lower than expected this year. Due to unseasonal weather in Maharashtra, the farmers are fearing that the production of sugarcane will decrease.

Meanwhile, in the first two months of this new season in Uttar Pradesh, about 104 sugar mills have started crushing sugarcane and during this period, sugar production has increased to about 11 lakh 20 to 25 thousand tons. According to the informants, crushing has started in about 170 to 175 sugar mills in Maharashtra in these two months and the production of sugar in Maharashtra during this period is around 20 lakh tons. About 70 sugar mills operating in Pilan during this period in Karnataka have recorded production of about 12 lakh 10 to 15 thousand tons of sugar in two months. Meanwhile, according to the sources of the Indian Sugar Mills Association, efforts were made to know how many areas sugarcane has been planted in the country by taking satellite images in October and according to the details found in these images, the area under sugarcane cultivation this year has been found to be around 59 lakh hectares. In the previous season, the area under cultivation of Sharedi was reported to be around 56 lakh hectares. This year, the area under sugarcane cultivation has increased by about three lakh hectares. However, inspite of this, the informants are showing fear that the production in the new sugar season in the country in 2022-23 will decrease by about 6 to 7 percent. It is feared that recovery of sugar from sugarcane will be low. If the production of sugar in India decreases, some sections are also showing the calculation that the supply of sugar going from India to the world market will decrease and the price will go up in the world market. Compared to India, the sugar of Brazil and Thailand is likely to come more in the world market. The per hectare production of sugarcane in Maharashtra has decreased and due to this some sections are also showing fear that the production of sugar in Maharashtra will decrease to 117 lakh tonnes. It was expected to be 138 lakh tonnes at the beginning of the season. A similar problem has also been seen in Karnataka. In view of this, some informants are also fearing that the countrywide production of sugar will decrease to 333 lakh tonnes, which was recorded at 358 lakh tonnes in the previous season.