India’s sugar supply situation “is not comfortable, but there’s no need to panic,” says Prakash Naiknavare, managing director of the National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories Ltd (NFCSF).
According to him, the driest ever August, with all-India rainfall 36.2% below the normal average for the month, did raise concerns over the sugarcane crop. This was more so in the cane-growing areas of western Maharashtra, Marathwada and northern Karnataka, where the corresponding deficiency ranged from 64 per cent to 74 per cent.
“August and September are when the crop’s tillers (shoots) develop into millable canes. This grand growth period decides both yields (weight) and sucrose (sugar) accumulation in the cane. We were worried when it hardly rained in August,” explained Naiknavare.
Must Read | Centre set to ban sugar exports for first time in 7 years: Report
However, September has seen the southwest monsoon stage a revival, with the month recording an overall 10.6 per cent rainfall surplus so far. “These rains have been a lifesaver. Many farmers last month had actually started diverting standing cane for fodder. The extended dry spell then – especially in Marathwada and parts of Solapur, Ahmednagar and Pune districts – made it seem more remunerative for them to sell their cane and get immediate cash payment than trying to save it till the new sugar season (October-September),” stated Naiknavare.
The Maharashtra government, on September 13, even announced restrictions on the export of sugarcane outside the state. The decision was taken to ensure adequate supply for sugar mills to crush in the ensuing 2023-24 season.
Maharashtra, India’s top sugar producer, grows three cane crops: Adsali (planted in April-July and ready for harvesting in 18 months), pre-seasonal (August-November: 15 months) and suru January-February: 12-13 months). The staggering of plantings enables mills to get fresh cane throughout the crushing season from mid-October to mid-April.
Also Read | A sweet export story: How India’s sugar shipments to the world are surging
Naiknavare stressed the need for more rains now to help fill reservoirs and recharge the groundwater, which will irrigate the standing cane beyond September.
Most Read 1As Indo-Canadian relations sour, anxiety grips Indian students, residents who wish to settle in Canada 2Jawan box office collection day 13: Shah Rukh Khan film to pass Rs 900 crore globally, just days away from overtaking Pathaan 3Gadar 2 box office collection day 40: Hit by Shah Rukh Khan’s Jawan onslaught, Sunny Deol movie ends BO run with Rs 45 lakh earning 4Farida Jalal recalls the time when Amitabh Bachchan-Jaya Bachchan were dating: ‘They would pick me up at night, we would go for long drives’ 5Vicky Kaushal on ‘privileged’ Bollywood actors pretending to be middle class: ‘It’s a very tiring process’Explained | What India’s labour force and national income data tell us about jobs shifting from agriculture
The NFCSF has projected the current 2022-23 sugar year to close with stocks of 58.23 lakh tonnes (lt). That would be below the 71.23 lt and 83.98 lt of the preceding two years and, in fact, the lowest closing stock since the 39.41 lt of 2016-17. The stocks of 58.23 lt can meet the domestic consumption requirement for 2.5 months, by which time the crushing for the new season would be in full flow.
Also in Explained | What could be the govt’s calculations behind the slashing of the MGNREGA budget
The Narendra Modi government is keen not to allow any surge in sugar prices particularly during the peak festival months, with Dussehra falling on October 23 and Diwali on November 12. It has already banned export since May and is yet to fix any quota for shipments in the new sugar year.
Also ReadShubh’s tour in India cancelled: Why is the Canada-based singer facing th…Sensex, Nifty dip by 1%: What has triggered this sell-off?What is WhatsApp Channels, the latest feature launched by Meta‘Socialist’ and ‘secular’: What do these words mean in the Constitution, …
“They will probably see how the rains play out in September-October and its impact on production, before taking a call around January,” said Uppal Shah, CEO of AgriMandi. Meanwhile, the London-based International Sugar Organization has estimated a fall in global production of the sweetener from 1,770.24 lt in 2022-23 to 1,748.39 lt in 2023-25, along with a rise in consumption from 1,765.31 lt to 1,769.57 lt.
© The Indian Express (P) Ltd