Sugar output rises 15% this season to 18.7 million tonnes

Sugar production has gone up by 15 per cent to 18.65 million tonnes till February 29 this marketing season, according to industry data.

The country had produced 16.25 million tonnes in the same period of the 2010-11 marketing year (October-September), Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) said in a statement on Thursday.

Maharashtra, the country's largest sugar producer, produced 6.49 million tonnes of sugar till February 29, which is 14 per cent higher than last season, it added.

Similarly, output in Uttar Pradesh, the second biggest sweetener producing state, rose 13 per cent to 5.27 million tonnes in the same period. Karnataka and Tamil Nadu reported higher production at 2.87 million tonnes and 8.20 lakh tonnes, respectively, as of February 29, ISMA said.

Andhra Pradesh has reported 20 per cent more production than last year at 8.71 lakh tonnes of sugar so far, it added.

As per ISMA, the country is likely to produce 26 million tonnes in the 2011-12 marketing year, against 24.2 million tonnes in the previous year. However, the government has pegged output at 24.5 million tonnes.