AP sugar output bitter by 26%

 According to industry sources, the growing apathy of farmers to sugar cane crop due to continuous drought conditions in the last three years is said to be the main reason for the significant decline in sugar production.

 The decline in the area under sugar cane crop was more conspicuous in the districts of East Godavari, West Godavari, Nellore, Chittoor and Karimnagar districts.  The sugar cane acreage which was once around three lakh hectares a decade ago has shrunk to around two lakh hectares now, government sources said.  During the season 2003-04, the sugar mills crushed 86,03,748 tonnes of cane as compared to 1,19,80,040 tonnes in the previous season, a fall of 28.18 per cent.  However, the average percentage of recovery of the mills in Andhra Pradesh rose to 10.35 per cent from 10.1 per cent in the previous season.  The top three recovery rates were accounted for by the private mills. They are Andhra Sugars at Tanuku in West Godavari, Deccan Sugars at Samalkot in East Godavari and Sri Sarvaraya Sugars at Taduvai in West Godavari with 11.11 per cent, 10.9 per cent and 10.87 per cent respectively.

 Of the 37 sugar factories in Andhra Pradesh, the 23 private sugar mills have been reporting the highest sugar recovery rates for the last three seasons. In the season 2003-04, they recorded 10.39 per cent as compared with 10.27 per cent in 2002-03 and 10.18 per cent in 2001-02.

 The three mills under Nizam Deccan Sugars Limited, a joint venture between the state government and the Deccan group, posted recovery rates of 10.02 per cent, 9.83 per cent and 9.62 per cent in 2003-04, 2002-03 and 2001-02 respectively. The respective recovery rates for the cooperative sugar mills are 10.15 per cent, 9.25 per cent and 9.61 per cent.  Of the 11 co-operative sugar factories, one unit in West Godavari was acquired by Andhra Sugars during the just-ended financial year.

 Of the remaining 10 co-operative sugar mills, only three took part in the crushing operations. Following the decision of the state government to go in for privatisation, seven mills did not operate. They diverted the cane under their area to the nearby factories.