Floods, polls in Maharashtra pull down sugar production by 50% to 1.9 MT

Sugar mills have signed contracts for 1.5 MT of exports to Iran, Africa, etc

Owing to the delayed start of the crushing season in Maharashtra due to recent floods and elections, domestic sugar production fell more than 50% per cent to 1.9 million tonnes (MT) till November 30, 2019, compared to almost 4.1 MT during the corresponding period last year.

According to the Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA), only 279 sugar mills are operational in the current 2019-20 sugar season vis-a-vis 418 units, which were crushing sugarcane till end November 2018.

The Maharashtra factor has led to a massive shortfall in this season's sugar output, as the state mills started operations after nearly a