After a delayed start over pricing issues, sugarcane crushing for the 2013-14 season has picked up as more mills have started operation across the country. However, production of the sweetener is down by 50 per cent at 24.24 lakh tonnes as on December 15 over the corresponding period last year.

About 426 sugar mills have started crushing against last year’s 457 mills, according to the Indian Sugar Mills’ Association (ISMA).

Maharashtra has crushed 128 lakh tonnes to produce 12 lakh tonnes, down 35 per cent on that than last year. About 150 mills have started operations against 155 mills last year, of which 56 are in the private sector. In sugar season 2012-13, about 170 mills crushed 70 million tonnes of cane to produce 80 lakh tonnes of sugar.

In Uttar Pradesh, the second largest sugar producing State, about 110 mills have started crushing against last year’s 116 mills. Sugar production is estimated at 2.3 lakh tonnes, down 78 per cent over the corresponding period last year. The total sugarcane arrears for the 2012-13 season is about Rs 2,246 crore.

ISMA said 55 mills have started crushing in Karnataka against 56 last year, producing 4.75 lakh tonnes, which is 57 per cent lower than that last year. In Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, about 30 and 15 mills have started operations and have produced a total of 1.55 lakh tonnes.

Imports during the current sugar season are estimated at 0.27 lakh tonnes, while exports are estimated at 2.27 lakh tonnes. ISMA has estimated sugar production at 250 lakh tonnes for the 2013-14 season against 251.40 lakh tonnes in the previous year.

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