AGL 40.01 Increased By ▲ 1.23 (3.17%)
AIRLINK 197.85 Increased By ▲ 3.56 (1.83%)
BOP 10.37 Decreased By ▼ -0.47 (-4.34%)
CNERGY 7.13 Increased By ▲ 0.26 (3.78%)
DCL 10.61 Increased By ▲ 0.42 (4.12%)
DFML 43.82 Increased By ▲ 0.69 (1.6%)
DGKC 105.67 Increased By ▲ 9.06 (9.38%)
FCCL 39.60 Increased By ▲ 1.53 (4.02%)
FFBL 80.25 Decreased By ▼ -1.18 (-1.45%)
FFL 14.14 Increased By ▲ 0.11 (0.78%)
HUBC 120.56 Increased By ▲ 1.58 (1.33%)
HUMNL 14.67 Decreased By ▼ -0.10 (-0.68%)
KEL 6.16 Increased By ▲ 0.42 (7.32%)
KOSM 8.26 Decreased By ▼ -0.23 (-2.71%)
MLCF 49.61 Increased By ▲ 3.07 (6.6%)
NBP 74.48 Decreased By ▼ -2.75 (-3.56%)
OGDC 197.07 Increased By ▲ 2.29 (1.18%)
PAEL 35.10 Increased By ▲ 0.36 (1.04%)
PIBTL 8.52 Increased By ▲ 0.14 (1.67%)
PPL 176.26 Increased By ▲ 1.69 (0.97%)
PRL 33.26 Increased By ▲ 0.09 (0.27%)
PTC 25.59 Increased By ▲ 1.02 (4.15%)
SEARL 121.04 Increased By ▲ 11.00 (10%)
TELE 9.90 Increased By ▲ 1.00 (11.24%)
TOMCL 35.23 Increased By ▲ 0.40 (1.15%)
TPLP 12.74 Increased By ▲ 1.05 (8.98%)
TREET 18.97 Increased By ▲ 0.41 (2.21%)
TRG 60.28 Increased By ▲ 0.22 (0.37%)
UNITY 39.02 Increased By ▲ 2.53 (6.93%)
WTL 1.83 Increased By ▲ 0.08 (4.57%)
BR100 11,749 Increased By 48.7 (0.42%)
BR30 36,171 Increased By 760.4 (2.15%)
KSE100 109,970 Increased By 916.4 (0.84%)
KSE30 34,131 Increased By 281.6 (0.83%)

SATARA/SANGLI/SOLAPUR: Sugarcane growers in India’s top producing states are worried scanty rainfall during the crop’s crucial growth period could trim yields and reduce sugar output in the upcoming season, farmers and industry sources told Reuters.

Lower sugar production in Maharashtra and Karnataka, which together account for more than half of India’s total output, would reduce exports from the world’s second-biggest producer of the sweetener and support global prices trading near multi-year highs.

“Sugarcane thrives on the abundant rainfall experienced from June to September, but this year’s growth has nearly stalled due to poor rainfall,” said Bharat Sankpal, a farmer from the Satara district of the western state of Maharashtra, India’s No.1 sugar-producing state.

Key cane-growing districts of Maharashtra received up to 71% less-than-normal rainfall so far this monsoon season that started on June 1, according to the weather department data.

In neighbouring Karnataka, the third-biggest sugar producer, rainfall deficit is as high as 55% in cane-growing districts.

Sugarcane yields fell last year due to lower rainfall in June-July, and the same weather pattern is prevailing this year as well, said Shrikant Ingale, a farmer from Solapur district in Maharashtra.

Maharashtra, which was expected to produce 13.8 million metric tons of sugar in the 2022/23 marketing year ending Sept. 30, produced only 10.5 million tons due to lower cane yields.

The industry was expecting production would revive in the 2023/24 marketing year starting Oct. 1, but scanty rainfall has washed away hopes of any revival in the output, said B.B.

Thombare, president of the West Indian Sugar Mills Association. “Instead, there will be a drop in production in the upcoming season. The quantum of the drop depends on how much rainfall we receive in the next few months,” Thombare said.

Sugar output in the current year is expected to fall more than 8% to 32.8 million tons from last year.

Limited exports

The drop in this year’s output prompted India to cap exports at 6.1 million tons after exporting over 11 million tons a year ago.

The uncertainty is rising about the next season’s exports as it seems production would fall and local prices would rise, said a Mumbai-based dealer with a global trade house.

“The government’s current priority is to bring down inflation. Lower production means it will allow very small amount for exports in the next season,” the dealer said.

The government is keen to control food prices ahead of some state elections in 2023 and a general election in mid-2024, he said. Scanty rainfall has not only been affecting standing crop, but also discouraging farmers from the new plantation as cane is a water-intensive crop, said Thombare.

Comments

Comments are closed.

Tulukan Mairandi Jul 11, 2023 04:17pm
Bad news for sugar importer Pakistan
thumb_up Recommended (0)
Builder Jul 11, 2023 07:32pm
Yes, a blessing in disguise for India - they will be making more toxic booze 8-).
thumb_up Recommended (0)