The Government may decide on allowing sugar exports for crop year 2011-12 in the first week of November.
The Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) on Food may take a call on sugar exports in the first week of November, the Food Minister, Mr K.V. Thomas, told reporters on Friday.
The meeting on Thursday was deferred due to the differences in sugar output estimates between the Food and Agriculture Ministries.
Sugar output, according to the Agriculture Ministry for 2011-12 is estimated to be between 25.5 million and 26 million tonnes. However, the Food Ministry has projected it to be at 24.6 mt, marginally higher than the previous year’s output of 24.3 mt.
The sugar industry, which has pegged the output at 26 mt for 2011-12, has been demanding further export permits. Last year, the Government had allowed the industry to export 1.5 mt in three tranches.
The Food Ministry plans to verify and reconcile the sugar output estimates with the Agriculture Ministry in a day or two. A note will be prepared on the output by the end of this month, based on which the EGoM may decide on the quantum of exports for the new sugar year, Mr Thomas said.
Replying to a query, Mr Thomas said there are no plans to allow exports of wheat and rice stocked in Government godowns.