Sugar output in Maharashtra will likely jump nearly 70 per cent in 2017/18 to 7 million tonnes as ample rainfall drives farmers to plant more cane. That jump would help push the country overall sugar production back near consumption levels after a drop expected in the current crop year, ending Sept. 30, in the wake of a strong El Nino weather pattern that prompted severe drought. Due to back-to-back droughts set to curb Maharashtra production to 4.2 million tonnes in 2016/17 from 8.41 million tonnes the year before, with Indian output expected to plunge 19 percent to 20.3 million tonnes. That would put the nation’s production below consumption levels of around 25 million tonnes for the first time in seven years.