Sugar output till end-April was down 3 per cent at 24.52 million tonnes over the corresponding period last year on lower recoveries. As the 2012-13 cane crushing season comes to an end, about 45 sugar mills were still operational against 100 in the corresponding last year.

 

The sugar mills have crushed 243 million tonnes of cane with an average recovery of 10.09 per cent, about 0.17 points lower than last year, the Indian Sugar Mills’ Association said in a statement.

 

The largest sugar producing State Maharashtra has produced 7.97 million tonnes of the sweetener by crushing 69.9 lakh tonnes sugarcane at a recovery of 11.40 per cent. Four mills, two each in Satara and Nagpur districts, were still operational against more than 40 than last year.

 

In Uttar Pradesh, about nine mills were still operational and the State has produced 7.43 million tonnes of sugar, with a marginally better recovery of 9.19 per cent. Sugar production in the State was up seven per cent, with mills in Western and Central UP reporting better recoveries.

 

In Karnataka, crushing has ended and production was down by a tenth at 3.36 million tonnes against last year’s 3.72 million tonnes. In Tamil Nadu, 29 mills were still operational against 41 in the corresponding period last year. Till date, Tamil Nadu has produced 1.57 million tonnes, about one per cent lower than last year. Andhra Pradesh has produced 9.9 lakh tonnes of sugar, against 1.11 million tonnes last year.

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