Maharashtra to upstage UP as top sugar producer

Maharashtra has revised its sugar production estimates upward for the 2006-07 sugar season (October-September) by about 7 per cent.

The state is expected to produce record 75 lakh tonne sugar, 5 lakh tonne higher than the initial estimates of 70 lakh tonne.

According to industry estimates, Maharashtra is likely to dethrone Uttar Pradesh as the biggest sugar producing state. UP is expected to produce 72 lakh tonne sugar this season.

As on February 25, Maharashtra has produced 56.39 lakh tonne, 13.31 lakh tonne higher over last season's corresponding period. In the same period, 507.46 lakh tonne cane has been crushed, up 133.04 lakh tonne over last season's corresponding period.

"The mills in the state are likely to crush 700 lakh tonne sugarcane this season and may produce sugar in excess of 75 lakh tonne," said Prakash Naiknaware, managing director of the Maharashtra State Cooperative Sugar Federation. The state produced 51.97 lakh tonne sugar last season.

Naiknaware added that mills in the state have exported one lakh tonne sugar this season, after the export ban was lifted in January.

However, the average recovery this season has been 11.11 per cent compared with last year's 11.50 per cent. This is primarily due to the rains which continued till late October-November, thereby affecting the maturity and the sucrose content of sugarcane.

The country is on its way to produce record sugar at 230 lakh tonne against a consumption requirement of 185 lakh tonne. Last season, the total production was 191 lakh tonne.

According to the data compiled by National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories (NFCSF), domestic sugar production till January 31 was 122.56 lakh tonne compared with 102.53 lakh tonne in the corresponding period of last year.