Govt unlikely to permit additional sugar exports due to fall in production

The government is unlikely to permit additional sugar exports this year as untimely rains have impacted the production in Maharashtra, Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra said on Thursday.

The food ministry has allowed 6 million tonnes of sugar exports for the current 2022-23 marketing year (October-September). Out of which, about 4 million tonnes have been exported so far, as per the trade report.

"We have a sugar production target of 38.6 million tonnes (including diversion for ethanol). Maybe production will go down by 2-3 lakh tonnes due to unseasonal rains in Maharashtra," Chopra told reporters on the sidelines of a press conference here.

In view of likely fall in sugar output, the Secretary said, "Additional sugar export quota is unlikely to be allowed."

Sugar production in India, the world's second largest sugar producing nation after Brazil, remained lower by three per cent at 29.96 million tonnes in the first six months of the 2022-23 marketing year ending September, as per the industry body ISMA.

Since the last two weeks, many states including Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh received untimely rains due to Western Disturbances.

India exported a record 11 million tonnes of sugar in the previous marketing year.