Sugar production to be 21.3 million tonnes, down by 9 per cent from first estimate: ISMA
PUNE: Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) has lowered its sugar production estimate for 2016-17 by about 9 per cent.
The private industry body now expects the country to produce 21.3 million tonnes of sugar as compared to its estimate of 23.37 lakh tonnes, projected in September 2016.
The central government in its meeting held on Tuesday this week had retained its sugar production estimate at 22.5 million tonnes.
ISMA has arrived at these figures, based on satellite images, at a meeting held in Hyderabad today. In its first advance estimate of sugar production for 2016-17, ISMA had projected a production of 23.37 million tonnes.
ISMA’s had estimated sugar production of 62.7 lakh tonnes for in its first advance estimate, which it has reduced to 45 lakh tonnes today in its second advance estimate.
The trade body expects the reduction in sugar production of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu too. Karnataka is expected to produce 22 lakh tonne sugar, while Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu are expected to produce 7 lakh tonne and 7.39 lakh tonne sugar respectively.
“The decline in production has mainly happened due to drastic fall in yields in Maharashtra,” said an ISMA official, who did not want to be quoted.
Source: ECONOMIC TIMES