Page 5 - Sugar

National Food Security cardholders in Delhi to get free sugar: Cabinet

National Food Security cardholders in Delhi -- representing some of the most marginalised segments of society -- will now have access to free sugar after Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal approved on Monday a Cabinet decision in this regard. The Delhi Cabinet endorsed the proposal for free sugar distribution among families facing economic hardships in July. The beneficiary families will get the free sugar in addition to their existing entitlements of wheat and rice. The decision is set to benefit 68,747 National Food Security cardholders and a total 2,80,290 individuals in Delhi. The financial allocation for the initiative is estimated at Rs 111 crore, the chief minister's office said in a statement. The objective of the initiative, it said, is two-fold -- to mitigate the challenges faced by economically disadvantaged families and to ensure a higher degree of food security for all citizens. By extending essential support to those most in need, the Delhi government is affirming its ...

UPL SAS partners with NSL Sugars to enhance sustainable sugarcane yield

UPL Sustainable Agriculture Solutions on Friday said it has signed an agreement with NSL Sugars to promote sustainable sugarcane production and promote green agriculture through optimised usage of natural resources. The memorandum of understanding (MoU) with NSL Sugars will indirectly add about 50,000 farmers across Telangana, Karnataka and Maharashtra, UPL Sustainable Agriculture Solutions (UPL SAS) said in a statement. The primary objective of this partnership is to achieve a minimum of 15 per cent increase in yield to over 5 tonnes per acre, which will help farmers earn an additional income of Rs 12,000-15,000 per acre, the statement said. This also aims at reducing input costs for farmers while promoting sustainable agri practices. This collaborative effort is expected to save about 6 lakh litres of water and 50 kg of urea per acre, thereby promoting green agriculture practices and reducing environmental impact, the company added. UPL SAS and NSL Sugars will implement plans in

UK headline inflation rate easing but sugar, rent, insurance surging

fficial statistics showed the Consumer Prices Index slid to 6.8% last month from a four decade peak of 11.1% late last year

Nepal requests India to supply rice, sugar to avert possible food scarcity

The Nepal government has requested India to facilitate the supply of paddy, rice and sugar, a senior official said here on Wednesday, as a precautionary measure to mitigate any possible food scarcity in the upcoming festive season. The request was made through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the Indian authorities last week, Commerce and Supplies Ministry Joint Secretary Ram Chandra Tiwari said. "Nepal has requested India to provide one million tonnes of paddy, 100,000 tonnes of rice, and 50,000 tonnes of sugar," he said. Though there is no immediate shortage of rice and sugar in the market, there are rumours about its possible scarcity following India's decision to ban the export of non-basmati white rice to the international market. So as a precautionary measure, the Nepal government has asked India to supply these food items, Tiwari said. There are also concerns that traders might resort to hoarding these goods, potentially driving up prices as the festive season approaches,

India's rice export ban now sparks concern that sugar might be next

The rice export ban is a clear signal the government is concerned about food security and inflation, said Henrique Akamine, head of sugar and ethanol at Tropical Research Services

No sugar mill in Maharashtra should be without ethanol distillery: Shah

Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said there should not be a single sugar mill in Maharashtra that is not producing ethanol. He was speaking at a public event after launching the digital portal of the Central Registrar of Cooperative Societies (CRCS) office in Pune. Huge funding is available under various schemes for cooperative societies which can be utilised for setting up distilleries. Sugar mills in the state should avail of the loan facility. There should not be a single sugar mill in Maharashtra that is not making ethanol. It is an emerging market and rates are also good for the same, Shah said. On the digital portal of the CRCS office launched by him, the Union minister said, The digital portal is aimed at increasing the efficiency and transparency. The cooperative sector cannot move forward without modernisation, transparency and accountability. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who joined the Eknath Shinde-BJP government last month, was ..

Govt pulls up ISMA for premature estimation of low sugar output for 2023-24

Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra on Friday came down heavily on industry body ISMA saying its "highly premature" assessment of sugar production has created a panic that there is a sugar shortage in the country. The secretary said he will hold a discussion with ISMA about this issue and added that it is too early to predict sugarcane and sugar production for the 2023-24 season, starting in October. Chopra asserted that prices of sugar and other essential commodities will remain stable during the upcoming festival season. Earlier this week, Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) released its preliminary estimate of sugar production for the 2023-24 season (October-September) at 317 lakh tonne against 328 lakh tonne for the current season. Addressing a press conference, Chopra said ISMA has estimated 317 lakh tonne of sugar production and 45 lakh tonne of sugar diversion for ethanol production for the next season. "This we thought is getting some kind of panic that there is a shortage of

ISMA pegs sugar output lower by 3.41% at 31.68 mn tons in 2023-24 season

The country's sugar production is pegged lower by 3.41 per cent to 316.80 lakh tonnes in the new season that will begin from October 2023, due to more diversion of cane for ethanol production, according to the industry body ISMA. In the ongoing 2022-23 season (October-September), sugar production is estimated at 328 lakh tonnes. Releasing a preliminary estimate, Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) said about 45 lakh tonnes of sugar will be diverted towards production of ethanol in the next season 2023-24, as compared to about 41 lakh tonnes in current season. Sugar production in the 2023-24 season is, however, estimated to be higher than the domestic consumption of 275 lakh tonnes, leaving a surplus of 42 lakh tonnes at the end of the season, it added. Total sugarcane acreage remains slightly higher at 59.81 lakh hectare in 2023-24, as against 59.07 lakh hectare in the previous year. Cane acreage in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu remains lower, ISMA said.

Deep sleep improves body's response to insulin, key to regulate blood sugar

An increased responsiveness of the human body to insulin during deep sleep, in turn, improving blood sugar control the next day, may be why lack of quality sleep is considered to increase risk of diabetes, researchers say. A stronger and a more frequent linking of the deep sleep brain waves, particularly the sleep spindles and the slow waves, triggered the body's parasympathetic nervous system into action, the researchers from the University of California (UC) Berkeley, US, found after examining sleep data of 600 individuals. The parasympathetic branch of the nervous system is associated with soothing and calming the body by producing physiological effects such as slowing down the heart and dilating blood vessels. The researchers detected this shift in the participants by measuring changes in their heart rate. Further, they found that switching to this tranquil and calm mode enhanced the body's responsiveness to insulin, the blood sugar-regulating hormone, which instructs cells to

India in bilateral talks with Brazil to resolve sugar dispute at WTO

India is in negotiations with Brazil to resolve a sugar dispute at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the commerce ministry is coordinating with concerned departments for the same, government sources said. India is also following a similar process for other complainants of the sugar dispute at the Geneva-based WTO, they said. In 2019, Brazil, Australia and Guatemala dragged India into the WTO's dispute settlement mechanism alleging that New Delhi's sugar subsidies to farmers are inconsistent with global trade rules. The Department of Commerce is coordinating with all the concerned line ministries to arrive at possible alternatives, one of the sources, who is aware of the development, said. The exercise assumes significance as a WTO dispute settlement panel on December 14, 2021, ruled that India's support measures for the sugar sector are inconsistent with the global trade norms. In January 2022, India appealed against the panel's ruling at the WTO's appellate body, which is th

Sebi slaps Rs 77 lakh fine on 16 entities for manipulating share price

Capital markets regulator Sebi on Wednesday slapped fines totalling Rs 77 lakh on 16 entities for manipulating the share price and violating other norms in the matter of Gayatri Sugars Ltd. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) conducted an investigation in the matter of Gayatri Sugars Ltd (GSL), a BSE-listed company. The probe was to ascertain whether there was any violation of Sebi norms and PFUTP (Prohibition of Fraudulent and Unfair Trade Practices) rules by certain entities for the period from April 10-23, 2018. Sebi's Adjudicating Officer G Ramar said, "I note that Noticee 5 to 16 have created misleading appearance of trading in the scrip of (GSL) by doing trades within them. Further, Noticee 4 made a deliberate attempt to increase and manipulate the price of the scrip." Apart from this, I also note that Noticee 1, 2 and 3 failed to reply to the summons issued by the regulator to them, Ramar added. Through such acts, the entities have violated the regulatory nor

WHO advises against non-sugar sweeteners like stevia for weight control

In addition, the review found that there may be potential undesirable effects from long-term use of NSS, such as an increased risk of Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and mortality in adults

Centre may impose blanket ban on sugar export in the wake of rising prices

Govt plan follows less-than-expected production in 2022-23 season

ISMA cuts sugar output estimates by 3.5% to 328 lakh tonnes for 2022-23

Sugar industry body ISMA has revised downwards the country's sugar production estimate to 328 lakh tonnes for the current marketing year ending September, from an earlier projection of 340 lakh tonnes. The downward revision has been made due to a fall in sugar output in Maharashtra to 105 lakh tonnes in the 2022-23 marketing year (October-September), from an earlier projection of 121 lakh tonnes. Sugarcane crushing season has ended in the state. "ISMA has revised its all-India sugar production estimate for 2022-23 (after diversion into ethanol) to 328 lakh tonnes, after considering diversion of about 40 lakh tonnes of sugar equivalent into ethanol," the association said in a statement on Wednesday. In January, ISMA had projected output of 340 lakh tonnes, after diversion of 45 lakh tonnes towards ethanol. Sugar production in 2021-22 stood at 358 lakh tonnes post diversion towards ethanol. "Crushing season in Maharashtra has ended at around 105 lakh tonnes, lower than our earlier

Bournvita rejects social media influencer's claims of high sugar content

Mondelez India-owned health drink brand Bournvita on Monday rejected the claims of a social media influencer of having high sugar content, terming a video posted by him as "unscientific", which "distorted facts and made false and negative inferences". The video has been deleted by the influencer Revant Himatsingka after being served a legal notice by the company, but it was widely circulated on the social media platform putting the confectionery major in a tizzy. Rejecting it, Bournvita in a statement said over the last seven decades, it has earned the trust of consumers in India by being a scientifically formulated product that adheres to quality standards and complies with the laws of the land. "We would again like to reinforce that the formulation has been scientifically crafted by a team of nutritionists and food scientists to offer the best of taste and health. All our claims are verified and transparent and all ingredients have regulatory approvals. All the necessary nutrition

Decent upside in select sugar stocks as business prospects turn sweeter

Analysts see 15-20 per cent upside in companies like Balrampur Chini, Dhampur, Triveni and EID

Sugar rush: Ex-mill prices up nearly Rs 150-200 per quintal in a month

Concerns about low output behind the uptick; retail prices may remain flat

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

Maharashtra to produce nearly 16% less sugar as mills close early

Sugar mills in Maharashtra were operational until mid-June in 2021/22 as they harvested a record crop

Sugar output falls to 28.18 mn tonnes till March 15 of 2022-23: ISMA

The country's sugar output remained marginally lower at 28.18 million tonne till March 15 of the ongoing marketing year, industry body ISMA said on Friday. Sugar production stood at 28.45 million tonne in the same period of the 2021-22 marketing year. The sugar marketing year runs from October to September. According to the Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA), around 336 sugar factories were in operation in the period under review against 438 factories in the year-ago period. After diversion for ethanol production, the country's sugar production was 28.18 million tonne during October-March 15 of the ongoing 2022-23 marketing year, the industry body said in a statement. The output in Maharashtra -- the country's leading producer of the sweetener -- remained lower at 10.19 million tonne during October-March 15 of the ongoing marketing year compared to 10.90 million tonne in the year-ago period. The production in Karnataka too, the country's third largest sugar-producing state, s