According to National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories Limited (NFCSF), there is a wide spread rumour taking rounds in some section of media picturising severe shortage of sugar in SY 23-24 (Oct -Sept). The factual situation is contrary to this speculative projection.
Prakash Naiknavare, Managing Director of NFCSF said, “While the El Nino has impacted in drying flurry of monsoon in some parts of Maharashtra, all other cane growing states viz, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Bihar, Uttarakhand etc have received above normal rains which has definitely helped the grand growth stage of standing cane to gain weight & Sucrose content.”
“To cite an example, Karnataka’s net sugar production which was feared to drop to 3:5 Mln Tons is actually projected to yield in excess of 4:5 Mln Tons. Uttar Pradesh, the largest sugarcane & sugar producing state is projected to surpass it’s last year’s net sugar production by a million tons,” NFCSF further added in a release.
So far as Maharashtra is concerned, after a prolonged dry spell of August, monsoon has revived in September which will help improve health of standing crop & sucrose content.
Parallelly there is a thought process going on that in line with past precedence, India could import certain quantity of raw sugar to supplement cane crushing in the areas where climatic impact is likely to reduce crushable sugarcane. This assumes importance in the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka & Gujarat where the crushing capacity has gone up. Raw sugar if used along with cane for crushing will not only enable mills to attain economic scale of operation, but will help increase net sugar production.
