Ram Gopal Yadav

On the back of higher sugarcane acreage this year and record sugarcane payments during 2016-17 crushing season, Uttar Pradesh government has projected sugar production of almost 10 MT in the coming season. This would be almost 15 percent higher compared to sugar production of about 8.75 MT during 2016-17 and total sugarcane payables of Rs 25,386 crore last year. During 2017-18 season, we are confident UP sugar output would touch the record level of a crore tonnes (10 MT).

The import of raw sugar at 25% duty has become unviable for millers due to the recent weakness of rupee against the US dollar. The government had, on Sep 8, allowed sugar mills and refineries to import 0.3 MMT raw sugar under tariff rate quota at a concessional duty of 25% for a period of 60 days in a bid to tide over any shortages in the run-up to Diwali. Importing sugar was viable when the government had issued a notification allowing imports.

Consumer prices of sugar are projected to reduce substantially on increased supplies in the global market after the European Union (EU) formally scrapped quotas on the production and sale of the commodity after nearly 50 years. The end of the quotas means that there are no further limits to production or exports, allowing production to adjust to market demand both within and outside the EU. Producers will now have the opportunity to expand their trade on global markets,” Phil Hogan, EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, said in a statement following the close of production quotas on September 30. European Commission showed the end of the system will trigger a jump in sugar production. It said that between 2016 and 2026 the bloc’s sugar production will increase by six per cent while production of an alternative sweetener, Isoglucose, could triple from 700,000 tonnes to 2.3 million tonnes. Imports will, on the other hand, continue to drop from 3 to 3.5 million to 1.8 million tonnes and exports are expected to increase from 1.3 million tonnes to 2.5 million tonnes. For the upcoming harvest, no longer bound by the limitations of the quota, an increase in production of roughly 20 per cent (20.1 million tonnes) is expected. This increase results from both an increase in area and higher yields because of good climatic conditions.

Sugar prices settled quiet at the wholesale market in the national capital on sporadic buying support amid adequate stocks availability. Besides scattered buying by stockists and retailers, sufficient position of stocks in the market, kept the sweetener’s prices unaltered.

Encouraged by a sharp increase in realisation through last year, jaggery manufacturing units (termed kolhus) say they’re equipped for a price battle with sugar mills on sugarcane purchase. Sugar mills in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, the top two producing states, have announced an early start to crushing this year (the sugar season begins October 1). This was reportedly to get the early variety of cane, normally supplied to kolhus. Jaggery makers traditionally start their operations in September with this early variety, which offers lower yield than the matured type. Crushing of this type of cane, therefore, becomes uneconomical for sugar mills.