Sugar Mills

Cooperative sugar mills seek ethanol price revision as blending dips to 28%

Closing sugar stocks now estimated at 4.8 million tonnes in 2024-25

India exports 4.24 lakh tonnes of sugar by April in current season: Aista

India exported 4.24 lakh tonnes of sugar till April of the ongoing 2024-25 marketing year with maximum shipments of 92,758 tonnes to Somalia, trade body AISTA said on Monday. The sugar marketing year runs from October to September. Sugar exports for the 2024-25 marketing year in India were allowed on January 20, 2025. The total quantity permitted for export is 10 lakh tonnes. According to the All India Sugar Trade Association (AISTA), mills have exported a total of 4,24,089 tonnes of sugar till April 30 of the current marketing year. Out of which, white sugar exports were at 3.27 lakh tonne, refined sugar 77,603 tonne and raw sugar at 18,514 tonne till April of this year. About 25,000 tonnes of sugar are under loading, it said. Of the total exports undertaken so far, maximum shipments have been to Somalia at 92,758 tonnes, followed by Afghanistan at 66,927 tonnes, Sri Lanka at 60,357 tonnes, and Djibouti at 47,100 tonnes. "Looking at the current export scenario, the AISTA expects

Govt to put gur, khandsari under Control Order regulation, help farmers

This would ensure payment of fair and remunerative prices to cane farmers and help in accurate estimation of sugar production

Volume, realisations likely to drive gains for sugar companies' stocks

The National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories (NFCSF) expects pan-India sugar production to reduce 19 per cent to 26 million tonne

Sugar output slips, but is India really staring at a festival season crunch?

While the top industry body is confident of adequate supplies, some fear that an early festival season this year could be marred by lower-than-usual level of sugar stocks

Govt to impose strict penalties on sugar mills violating stock limits

The government will take stringent action against the sugar mills violating monthly stock holding limit orders, the Food and Consumer Affairs Ministry said on Friday. The ministry prescribes monthly stock holding limits for white/refined sugar to prevent hoarding and control price increases. For April, the stock holding limit is set at 23.5 lakh tonnes. In a directive issued to mills, the ministry said it has found repeated violations by some group and individual sugar mills despite previous warnings, prompting the issuance of new, stricter guidelines. Key penalties include: for first-time violations, 100 per cent of excess sugar sold will be deducted from the subsequent month's release quota. Subsequent violations will see progressively higher deductions: 115 per cent for the second, 130 per cent for the third, and 150 per cent for the fourth violation. Mills dispatching less than 90 per cent of quota without intimation will have restricted future allocations. Multiple violatio

Govt notifies scheme to make cooperative sugar mills loan eligible

The scheme which was notified today is expected to directly benefit almost 63 cooperative sugar mills in the country which have distilleries attached with them

Sugar mills close early, pushing up local prices amid production halts

Many Maharashtra mills are struggling to get enough sugarcane, operating at half their capacity, and will likely close for the season by the end of this month

Govt raises procurement price of C-heavy molasses ethanol by Rs 1.69/litre

Prices for ethanol produced from B-heavy molasses and sugarcane juice/sugar/sugar syrup remain unchanged at Rs 60.73 and Rs 65.61 per litre, respectively

India's sugar consumption likely at 28 million tonnes in 2024-25: Isma

The drop in consumption is largely due to absence of any big events like the 2024 General Elections which is believed to have pushed up sugar consumption in India

Sugar mills pay Rs 8,126 cr to farmers in first 70 days of season

Sugar mills have paid Rs 8,126 crore to sugarcane farmers in the first 70 days of the ongoing 2024-25 sugar season, Food Minister Pralhad Joshi told Parliament on Wednesday. As of December 13, the total cane price payable stood at Rs 11,141 crore, Joshi said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. Pending payments of Rs 3,015 crore remain, with Karnataka accounting for the maximum outstanding dues of Rs 1,405 crore, followed by Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra. The sugar season in India runs from October to September. Joshi attributed the reduction in sugarcane arrears to ongoing policy interventions. In the previous 2023-24 season, out of total cane dues of Rs 1,11,674 crore, approximately Rs 1,10,399 crore has been paid, leaving only Rs 1,275 crore outstanding as of December 13 - effectively clearing 99 per cent of the dues.

India sugar prices hit 18-month low, mills struggle to make cane payments

The fall in prices is prompting industry to demand immediate revision in minimum selling price (MSP) to limit losses, which will improve mills' margins and allow them to make timely cane payments

Govt allows sugar mills to use cane juice for ethanol production from Nov

he world's second-biggest sugar producer imposed restrictions on diverting sugar for ethanol production in December 2023 to increase sugar output after cane crop was hit by below-average monsoon rains

Amit Shah urges sugar mills to diversify ethanol, biofuel production

Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Saturday called on sugar mills to explore alternatives to sugarcane for ethanol production, pushing for a multi-dimensional approach to biofuel manufacturing. Speaking at an event organized by the National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories (NFCSF), Shah said India would achieve its 20 per cent ethanol blending target by 2025-26, ahead of the original 2030 deadline. The minister highlighted that the government's ethanol blending programme has helped reduce the country's crude oil import bill and address environmental concerns. "You need to be futuristic and look at opportunities and expand. Ethanol can be made from multiple sources," Shah said, urging cooperative sugar mills to shed their "orthodox" approach and explore alternative feedstocks such as maize and bamboo. Shah said about 1,000 crore litres of ethanol is required for blending, and the necessary infrastructure to achieve this target is in place. He emphasised the need for sugar m

Modi govt working to restart 14 sugar mills that were closed: Bihar Dy CM

Choudhary alleged that Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Yadav was only bothered about his family

Sugar mills paid Rs 78,000 cr to farmers in first half of 2023-24 season

Sugar mills have paid Rs 78,000 crore to sugarcane farmers in the first six months (October-March) of the current marketing season, a food ministry official said on Wednesday. Sugar marketing season runs from October to September. While the season is still on, the mills have cleared 87 per cent of the total cane payment of Rs 90,000 crore till March 31 of the 2023-24 season, the official said. Mills have produced more than 300 lakh tonne of sugar so far this season. "Against the total cane payment of Rs 90,000 crore for October-March period of 2023-24 season, mills have already cleared Rs 78,000 crore," the official told PTI. Cane payments are made as per the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) of Rs 315 per quintal fixed by the Centre for the 2023-24 marketing season, depending on the recovery rate. The official also said that sugar mills have cleared 99.7 per cent of the total Rs 1.15 lakh crore cane dues of the 2022-23 season. Cane dues prior to 2022-23 seasons have been almost

ISMA revises upwards estimates of gross sugar output to 34 mn tonnes

Sugar industry body ISMA on Wednesday revised its estimates for gross production of the sweetener by 9.5 lakh tonnes to 340 lakh tonnes in the marketing year ending September. In January, Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) had projected the gross sugar production, without any diversion for ethanol, at 330.5 lakh tonnes in 2023-24 marketing year (October-September). In a statement, ISMA said the gross sugar production is now estimated at 340 lakh tonnes in 2023-24, as against the gross output of 366.2 lakh tonnes in the previous year. The executive Committee of ISMA in its meeting held on March 12, noted the sugar recovery, cane yield, remaining harvestable area / sugarcane and expected dates of closure of factories in different States. The panel agreed that sugarcane availability in Maharashtra and Karnataka is higher than expected. However, cane availability in another major state, Uttar Pradesh, is predicted to be lower than earlier estimates. "Accordingly, ISMA has revised

India sugar crop woes create opportunity for Dubai's Al Khaleej refinery

Al Ghurair said India had stopped exporting because of bad weather and this had created more demand, at least temporarily

Govt offers one-time settlement option to sugar mills for SDF loans

To provide relief to sugar mills, the government has come out with revised guidelines for loans taken under the Sugar Development Fund (SDF), giving factories option of debt restructuring and also a one-time settlement. As on January 31, sugar mills have an outstanding loans of Rs 3,730.15 crore under different schemes, of which, penal interest is about Rs 939.87 crore, according to official data. Issuing the revised operational guidelines for restructuring of SDF loans on February 28, the food ministry said, "Restructuring of the SDF loans would be in the form of capitalisation of balance interest, along with principle and re-schedulement," it said. In case of restructuring, the penal interest will be waived off, it said. Under the restructuring option, the government has offered a moratorium period of 24 months for payment of balance principal amount and interest amount. However, normal interest will continue to accrue during the moratorium period. "Balance loan amount, includi

Sugar mills to sell potassium from molasses at Rs 4,263 per tonne: Govt

Sugar mills will sell potassium derived from molasses, called PDM, at Rs 4,263 per tonne to fertiliser companies in the current year, Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra said on Thursday. The mutually agreed rate was facilitated by the food and fertiliser ministries, he said. PDM, a potassium-rich fertilizer derived from ash in molasses-based distilleries, is a by-product of the sugar-based ethanol industry. Briefing the media, the Secretary said, "India depends on imports for potash. This will augment potash availability in the country. This is a win-win for all stakeholders." This decision was pending for a long time due to the lack of understanding between fertiliser companies and sugar mills. Finally, they have come to an agreement on the price, he said. The Secretary further noted that PDM manufacturers can also claim a subsidy at Rs 345 per tonne under the Nutrients-Based Subsidy Scheme (NBS) of the Department of Fertilizers. Now, both sugar mills and fertilizer companies are ...