Sugar

The Pakistan government has allowed export of 300,000 tonne of sugar. The country had 1.45 million tonne of surplus sugar stock from the last crushing season. Exporters in the country should export the allotted quota within two months. Earlier, Pakistan had allowed export of 425,000 tonne sugar, as millers in the country wanted the government to allow export to settle dues of farmers.

West Bengal Essential Commodities Supply Corporation Ltd, a nodal agency for procuring sugar on behalf of the Food and Supplies Department of the state, have sought bids to buy 8,100 tonne of sugar. The sweetener bought would be supplied during Sep-Oct through the public distribution system. Sep-Oct is a period of key festivals such as Durga Pooja, Kali Pooja and Chhat Pooja in the state. The submission of the bids closes on Aug 7, and the price bid open on Aug 9. The bids remain valid for 60 days from the date of opening of the tender.

Out of the total outstanding cane dues of Rs 25,836.46 crore for crushing season 2016-17, a payment of Rs 22,807.53 crore was made to cane growers till July 14. This is 89.84 per cent of the total dues. Around 90 per cent of cane dues amounting to Rs 22,807 crore was given to sugarcane growers till July 14 during the crushing season 2016-17. The cane area of the state had increased by two lakh hectare due to the faith reposed by farmers on Chief Minister Yogi Aditynath.

The Maharashtra government has made drip irrigation mandatory for sugarcane crops in all the irrigated command areas across the state. More than half the land in Maharashtra is drought-prone and this decision is considered a formidable step towards water conservation. The government install drip irrigation system in the fields of total 3.7 lakh hectares in a phased manner within the next two years. The state provides a loan with an interest rate of only 2%. The amount of loan will be Rs 85,400 per hectare.

Prices of sugar inched up in the key wholesale markets of Maharashtra as millers quoted higher prices. Despite poor demand, mills are raising prices as there is no pressure on them to sell stocks. Millers will receive the new supply of sugar by mid-September and will have to manage with the current stocks till then. In North India, prices of sugar remained unchanged. Sugar futures on NCDEX it the 3% upper limit, taking cues from the strength in spot prices.

Uttar Pradesh is likely to peg sugar output for 2017-18 (Oct-Sep) at 9.2-9.5 million tonne, up 5.1-8.6% on year. Mills in the state had produced a record 8.75 million tonne sugar a year ago, surpassing the previous high of 8.47 million tonne produced in 2006-07. For the next season, Uttar Pradesh sees production reaching about 9.2 million tonne to 9.5 million tonne as the acreage of sugarcane is rising. The acreage of sugarcane in Uttar Pradesh, the country top cane producing state, is likely to rise 5% in 2017-18 (Jul-Jun).

The Uttar Pradesh government has issued notice to sugar mills in the state for non-payment of cane dues to farmers for 2016-17 (Oct-Sep) season. Notices have been issued to mills owned by Modi Sugars, Bajaj Hindusthan Sugar, Simbhaoli Sugars, Mawana Sugars, Rana Sugars and others as their payment process is slow. Mills in the state owed 25.35 billion rupees as of Monday to sugarcane farmers for the 2016-17 season. If the mills are unable to clear the dues in 15 days, they have to explain the reason for the inability to pay.

Sugar mills in Maharashtra increased their prices despite subdued demand from bulk buyers as millers are not under pressure to clear stock.

Prices of sugar inched up in the key wholesale markets of north India and touched a record high in Delhi as supplies were disrupted due to religious processions on some routes connecting western Uttar Pradesh to the national capital. Sugar prices also rose in the key spot markets of Maharashtra as millers quoted higher prices.

Prices of sugar rose in the key wholesale markets of north India as supplies were disrupted due to religious processions on some routes connecting western Uttar Pradesh to the national capital. Sugar prices also inched up in the key spot markets of Maharashtra as millers quoted higher prices. On the National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange, however, sugar futures were in the red due to expectations of higher sugar output in 2017-18 (Oct-Sep).

The consumer affairs ministry has asked Uttar Pradesh government to change the pricing policy of sugarcane and implement the revenue-sharing model. Under the revenue-sharing formula, the total revenue generated from the cane-sugar value chain is shared between farmers and millers in the ratio of their relative costs in producing cane at the farm level and converting it into sugar and its by-products at the factory level. There is no link between cane and sugar prices under the current pricing policy followed by the state. For 2016-17 (Oct-Sep), price of cane in Uttar Pradesh, higher than fair and remunerative price, was raised by 25 rupees per 100 kg to 305 rupees. For 2017-18, government raised fair and remunerative price of cane to 255 rupees per 100 kg, linked to a basic recovery rate of 9.5%. For each 0.1% increase in recovery rate over and above 9.5%, the fair and remunerative price would be increased by 2.68 rupees per 100 kg. The fair and remunerative price of cane is the minimum price that sugarcane farmers across the country are guaranteed. It is fixed by the Centre, on the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices.

European Commission has forecast output of white sugar in the European Union at 20.1 million tonne for 2017-18, up 20% on year. While sugar imports are expected to halve to 1.5 million tonne due to a likely drop in prices of white sugar, European Commission sees sugar exports from the European bloc doubling to 2.8 million tonne in 2017-18.

Prices of sugar rose in the key wholesale markets of north India as supplies were disrupted due to religious processions on some routes connecting western Uttar Pradesh to the national capital. Prices of the sweetener were, however, largely unchanged in key wholesale markets of Maharashtra amid lacklustre trade. The outlook on sugar prices in the long term is bearish on expectations of higher output in 2017-18 (Oct-Sep).

India sugar output in 2017-18 (Oct-Sep) is expected to rise 16-20% to around 23.5-24.5 million tonne. This growth driven largely by the increase in sugar production in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh.

The Indian Sugar Mills Association has pegged the country sugar output in 2017-18 (Oct-Sep) at 25.1 million tonnes, up 23.6 per cent from 20.3 million tonnes produced in the previous year. The three-top sugar producing states Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka are expected to produce over 19.8 million tonnes of total sugar output during the next season.