New Delhi, Feb 3 (KNN) The Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) on Thursday said that the country's sugar production is up by 3.42 per cent to 193.5 lakh tonnes in the first four months of the ongoing marketing year ending September.

The sugar production had stood at 187.1 lakh tonnes during October-January period of the previous marketing year.

According to the data shared by ISMA, the total sugar production, after diversion for ethanol manufacturing, has increased to 193.5 lakh tonnes till January of the current marketing year from 187.1 lakh tonnes in the year-ago period.

Currently 520 mills are operation in the country as opposed to 510 mills in the year-ago period.

The data shows that sugar production in Maharashtra, the country's leading producing state of the sweetener, rose to 73.8 lakh tonnes during October-January of the ongoing marketing year from 72.9 lakh tonnes in the year-ago.

In Uttar Pradesh, it increased marginally to 51 lakh tonnes as against 50.3 lakh tonnes, while in Karnataka, the output rose to 39.4 lakh tonnes as against 38.8 lakh tonnes in the same period.

Production in other states also remained higher at 29.3 lakh tonnes during October-January period of the 2022-23 marketing year, as against 25.1 lakh tonnes in the year-ago period.

ISMA said about 22.6 lakh tonnes of sugar has been diverted for ethanol production during October-January of this marketing year, higher than 16.3 lakh tonnes in the year-ago period.

The industry body, however, has projected that India's overall sugar production could fall 5 per cent during the 2022-23 marketing year to 340 lakh tonnes as more quantity of sugarcane juice is being diverted for production of ethanol.

Sugar production stood at 358 lakh tonnes in the 2021-22 marketing year.  (KNN Bureau)