With a 6-lakh tonne reduced production in the second fortnight from the previous fortnight, sugar output in the first six months of the current season that began October 1, 2024, has reached 248.5 lakh tonnes (lt), which is 18 per cent lower than 302.5 lt in the year-ago period, according to data compiled by the cooperative federation NFCSF.
As many as 234 mills closed crushing operation in March, taking the total mills that ended the season early to 420, as against 331 factories during October-March of 2023-24 season. There are 113 mills operation as of March 31, as against 204 factories in the year-ago period, according to the National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories (NFCSF).
“The data only for the month of March shows that the number of mills closed in the year-ago period was even higher at 257 (compared to 234 now). This shows that the initial setback suffered by the mills, which the government failed to anticipate due to various reasons, could not be offset in subsequent period despite some claims by a few industry people of an improvement,” said a sugar industry expert.
