A press release issued by the NFCSF says at the end of March sugarcane crushing in 337 factories of the total 531 across the country has been concluded; however, the season is expected to continue in the rest of 194 factories till the end of May.
At the end of March 31, 2023, the new sugar production in the country reached 298.70 lakh tonnes, which is less than the sugar production on this date last year by twelve and a half lakh tonnes.
Also, 3033 lakh tonnes of sugarcane have been crushed which is 69 lakh tonnes less than the same date last year. The average sugar yield is also 9.87 percent which is 0.18 percent lower than the average sugar yield at the end of March last year. As a result of all this, the sugar production at the end of the season at the country level is expected to be about 325 lakh tonnes, which is almost 35 lakh tonnes less than last year’s 359.25 lakh tonnes, according to the National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories (NFCSF).
In this, 97 factories in Uttar Pradesh, 24 factories in Tamil Nadu, 14 factories in Haryana and 10 factories each in Gujarat and Maharashtra, are currently in operation. Apart from the above expected sugar production of 325 lakh tonnes, 45 lakh tonnes of sugar will be subsumed in ethanol production.
“Analysing all the above data, it seems that the prices of sugar in the local market will remain at a satisfactory level. Because of the expected severe summer this year, additional consumption of sugar is anticipated by the soft drinks and ice cream industries, ” said Mr. Prakash Naiknavare, Managing Director of the NFCSF.
“The National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories is collecting statistics of factory-wise sugarcane plantation and ratoon in the country and after analysing it, the Federation would project about the expected crushing and sugar production in the next year,” said Mr. Jaiprakash Dandegaonkar, the President of the NFCSF.