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India may allow sugar exports after assessing the final sugarcane sowing and output in the 2024-25 season, as the world's biggest producer after Brazil is expecting a lower sugar output of 30 million tonnes next season, sources said. For the current 2023-24 season ending September, sugar production has reached 31.5 million tonnes so far, with the final output likely to touch 31.8 million tonnes as mills in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka wrap up crushing, the sources added. Last year, India produced 32.8 million tonnes of sugar. Sugar production in the 2024-25 season is estimated to be lower at 30 million tonnes due to lower sowing in Karnataka, as per trade estimate, the sources added. "The industry has demanded exports of 1 million tonnes of sugar. Since we are expecting lower sugar output next year and stocks are required for ethanol production, the priority of the government is to ensure available stock for domestic consumption as well as for ethanol," one of the sources said. "Expor
The Centre has issued guidelines for restructuring of loans taken by mills from the Sugar Development Fund (SDF), providing a moratorium for two years and then repayment in five years to eligible defaulting factories. The total outstanding default from the SDF is nearly Rs 3,100 crore, including principal and interest, according to an official statement issued on Wednesday. On January 3, the Department of Food and Public Distribution issued guildelines "for restructuring of SDF Loans under Rule 26 of the SDF Rules 1983". The guidelines for restructuring has been issued to "facilitate rehabilitation of financially weak but economically viable sugar mills which have availed loans under the Sugar Development Fund Act, 1982". The department said guidelines have provision for a "two-year moratorium and then five years of repayment". This is expected to provide big relief to financially weak sugar mills which have availed SDF loans, the department said. "The outstanding amount of defau