India's sugar output dips by 3pc to 24.52 mn tons in 2012-13

New Delhi, May 3. The country's sugar production declined by about three per cent to 24.52 million tonnes till April of the 2012-13 marketing year due to lower recovery in Maharashtra and Karnataka, an industry body ISMA said today. The sugar production so far has reached the target set by the government. With crushing operation for the 2012-13 marketing (October-September) coming to an end, the final output is expected to be little over 24.52 million tonnes (MT) as 45 mills are still under operation. Last year, the final sugar output was 26 million tonnes. According to the Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA), sugar mills till date have produced 24.52 MT of sugar with 10.09 per cent recoveries across states, which is about 3 per cent lesser as compared to year-ago period. Barring Uttar Pradesh, production fall was witnessed in most sugar producing states Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, it said. Sugar output in Uttar Pradesh, the country's second biggest sugar producing state, rose by seven per cent to 7.43 MT till April of this year on account of better recoveries especially in west and central zones of the state. Sugar recovery was higher at 9.19 per cent and mills crushed 5 per cent more sugarcane than last year. However sugar production in Maharashtra, the country's top sugar producing state, fell by 10 per cent to 7.97 MT so far from over the year-ago period on account of sever drought in some parts of the state. Sugar recovery remained lower at 11.40 per cent and mills crushed 8 per cent less sugarcane. Marathwada, which contributes up to 20 per cent to the total state sugar production, produced 22 per cent lesser sugar than last year as the region is reeling under water shortage. Similarly, sugar production from Pune and Kolhapur zone remained lower by six per cent so far. At present, only four mills in Satara and Nagpur are under operations, against 40 last year, it added. In case of Karnataka, sugar production declined to 3.36 MT till April of this year, as against 3.72 MT in the same period corresponding year. The recovery rate was lower at 10.44 per cent in the state, where five mills are still crushing. Sugar production in Tamil Nadu, where 29 mills are still operation, remained slighly lower at 1.57 MT so far, while in Andhra Pradesh the output was lower at 9,90,000 tonnes, as against 11,10,000 tonnes in the year-ago period.