Industry body ISMA said on March 17 that the country’s sugar production till March 15 of the current marketing year was down marginally at 28.18 million tonnes.

Sugar production stood at 28.45 million tonnes in the same period of marketing year 2021-22. The sugar marketing year runs from October to September.

According to the Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA), around 336 sugar mills were operational during the period under review, as against 438 sugar mills in the year-ago period.

The country’s sugar production during October-March 15 of the current 2022-23 marketing year stood at 28.18 million tonnes, after diversion for ethanol production, the industry body said in a statement.

Production in Maharashtra, the major producer of the sweetener in the country, declined to 10.19 million tonnes during October-March’15 of the current marketing year as against 10.90 million tonnes in a year-ago period.

Production in Karnataka, the country’s third largest sugar producing state, also saw a marginal decline at 5.35 million tonnes as against 5.54 million tonnes in the comparable period, ISMA said in a statement.

Sugar production in Uttar Pradesh, the country’s second largest producer of the sweetener, stood marginally higher at 7.96 million tonnes till March 15 of the current marketing year, as against 7.83 million tonnes in the year-ago period.

Production in other states was slightly higher at 4.68 million tonnes as compared to 4.18 million tonnes.

ISMA said that around 3.11 million tonnes of sugar has been diverted for ethanol production in the said period.

In January, ISMA cut its sugar production forecast for 2022-23 to 34 million tonnes as compared to its earlier estimate of 36.5 million tonnes released in October 2022.

Sugar production in the marketing year 2021-22 stood at 35.8 million tonnes.