Sugar output revised up by 5.5 pc to 25 mn tonne in 2013-14

India's sugar production for the 2013-14 marketing year has been revised upwards by 5.5% to 25 million tonnes than previous estimate, on higher cane acreage and good monsoon, industry body ISMA said today.

Sugar output of India, the world's biggest consumer and second largest producer after Brazil, stood at 25 million tonnes in the current 2012-13 marketing year ending this month.

In July, Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) had pegged production of the 2013-14 marketing year (October-September) at 23.7 million tonnes, but now it has revised upwards to 25 million tonnes.

The country's sugar production is seen higher than the demand for the fourth marketing year in a row. The annual domestic demand is around 22-23 million tonnes.

"As per satellite images, availability of total sugarcane acreage for crushing in India in sugar season 2013-14, will be around 52.89 lakh hectare which is almost 9% higher than the initial estimates of Ministry of Agriculture of 48.53 lakh hectare," Indian Sugar Mills Association said in a statement.

"With this kind of sugarcane acreage and an unprecedented high rainfall in the last few months, sugar production in the sugar season 2013-14 is expected to be about  25 million tonnes of sugar," it added.

ISMA has projected about 7.8 million tonnes of sugar production in Maharashtra, which is almost similar to last year when the sugar production was around 8 million tonnes.

Uttar Pradesh is likely to produce 7.7 million tonnes of sugar production in the ensuing 2013-14 season.

"Karnataka's sugar production is expected to remain at almost the same levels of last year i.E. Around 3.4 million tonnes, while major fall is only expected from Tamil Nadu which may give 15% lower production of 1.64 million tonnes, as compared to last years production of about 1.9 million tonnes of sugar," ISMA said.