AP's sugar output likely to be up by 3.38 lakh tonnes

Increased acreage combined with the reopening of co-operative sugar mills is expected to raise the sugar output in Andhra Pradesh by about 3.38 lakh tonnes during the current crushing season, which commences shortly.

According to the projections made by Srilaxmi, commissioner of sugar, sugar production this year is expected to be about 13.19 lakh tonnes as compared to 9.81 lakh tonnes in 2004-05.

While the private sector, which is the major player, is expected to increase sugar output by 2.28 lakh tonnes taking its overall production to 10.46 lakh tonnes as compared to 8.18 lakh tonnes in the previous year, the co-operative sector along with the three joint venture plants "� Shakkar Nagar, Medak, Metpalli "� is likely to add 1.08 lakh tonnes to its previous year's output (1.19 lakh tonnes).

The three joint venture units are expected to increase the sugar production to 59,291 tonnes as compared to 44,771 tonnes in the previous crushing season.

The cane crushing, likely to be handled by all the sugar mills, is expected to touch 1.26 crore tonnes as compared to 92.16 lakh tonnes during the 2004-05 season. The sugar production along with acreage has shown a strong sign of growth as compared to the figures of 2003-04, when the total sugar output was only 8.87 lakh tonnes against the crushing of 88.08 lakh tonnes of sugarcane.

There are about 37 sugar mills in the state of which 23 are in the private sector. The total crop area in the state this year is expected to be over 1.98 lakh hectares.

According to officials, the recovery rate in sugarcane is expected to shrink marginally from the present 10.57 per cent level. The crushing season too is expected to be delayed by at least 15 days due to the recent rains. Crushing season in the state normally commences in November.