Sugar production may see marginal fall in 2022-23 on extended rains

Industry players said the prime reason for a slight drop in output is due to the fact that the sugarcane crushing season started late

Sugar production in the ongoing season (2022-23) may be only marginally lower than last year, and that should not cause any alarm, a section of the industry has said. It added that a clearer picture should emerge by early January as crushing picks up.

In the 2021-22 season that ended in September, sugar production — after accounting for diversion towards ethanol — was estimated around 35.9 million tonnes. This year, initial reports indicated that production could be around 36.5 million tonnes. Now, a section of the industry feels it could be closer to 35 million tonnes.

Industry players said the