Sugar output seen down a million tonne

Sugar output during the 2004-05 (October-September) sugar season is estimated at 13 million tonne compared with 14 million tonne a year earlier, agriculture minister Sharad Pawar said on Monday.

The current year's sugar output estimate at 13 million tonne is comfortable and there is no cause for concern.

According to trade and industry officials, the next sugar season starting October is likely to see a bumper output of around 18 million tonnes due to good rains and better acreage.

The sugarcane crop sown last year will be crushed from October to obtain sugar. Sugarcane is an 18-month crop and sowing in one season is used to manufacture sugar in the next.

Asked about sugar exports, Pawar said, the government does not undertake export of sugar. Sugar factories undertake such business transactions keeping in view stocks, domestic production and consumption, and domestic and international prices.

This season the government plans to release an estimated 17.5 million tonne of sugar under the public distribution system against 17.9 million tonne released last sugar season, Pawar said.

Separately, minister of state for food and public distribution, Akhilesh Prasad Singh said statutory minimum price for sugarcane in Maharashtra has been fixed at Rs 74.50 per 100 kg.