Sugar mills in Tamil Nadu are keen on sourcing raw sugar from Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra–the states that are expected to produce a surplus in 2017-18 (Oct-Sep) –in a bid to improve availability of the sweetener in the state. While the mills in surplus sugar-producing states are willing to produce and supply raw sugar to Tamil Nadu, high transportation costs would make it unviable. The mills have also urged the government to help cut their loss by restructuring their bank loans. Sugar production in Tamil Nadu in 2017-18 is likely to be even lower than the 2016-17 season because of successive years of meagre rainfall in the state, a drop-in cane acreage, and lower sugar recovery. Millers expect sugar output to fall to 600,000 tonne in 2017-18 from 1.05 million tonne in 2016-17.