India’s sugarcane production may witness a decline marginally to 30.5 MT in the next season of 2021-22 as the government is planning to expand its percentage of ethanol blending to 20 percent by FY2022. According to sources, as more sugarcane will be diverted to ethanol making, the production of sugarcane is likely to get a trend of marginal decline.
In a conversation with PTI, Joint Secretary in the Food Ministry Subodh Kumar Singh said, currently 2 million tonnes of sugar is diverted for making ethanol, while in the next season sugarcane production is meant for 3.5 million tonnes of sugar will be diverted for making the biofuel.
The joint secretary said as the government is expecting a diversion of sugarcane into ethanol making, sugar production during the 2021-22 season will slightly be lower at 30.5 MT. As per the government’s statistics, India’s domestic demand for sugar is 26 MT and the slight decrease in sugar production will not hamper the supplies.
After Brazil, India is the second-largest producer of sugarcane among which Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu tops the list. According to ISMA, sugar mills across the country have produced 306.65 lakh tonnes of sugar between 1 October 2020 and 15 June 2021, which is 35.54 lac tonnes higher than 271.11 lac tonnes produced last year.
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Article Name
Sugar output likely to decline to 30.5 MT
Description
According to sources, as more sugarcane will be diverted to ethanol making, the production of sugarcane is likely to get a trend of marginal decline.
Author
TPT News Bureau
Publisher Name
THE POLICY TIMES
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