Sugar output in UP to touch 5.88 million tonne

LUCKNOW: Cane crushing in the second-largest sugar producing state, Uttar Pradesh is almost over with the total production of sugar being seen at 5.88 million tonne, which would be less than the earlier estimate of 6 million tonne.

More than 100 sugar mills in the state have shut down operation. Only two dozen odd mills are still operating - that too at low capacity levels. Barring two mills in western Uttar Pradesh, all are expected to close by the end of next week.

As of Wednesday, about 63.74 million tonne sugar cane had been crushed in the state with total sugar production standing at 5.82 million tonne - which is significantly higher than 5.06 million tonne in the same period last year.
Sugar industry players say that the mills, which are still running, are hardly getting enough cane and the season is expected to close with a production of about 5.88 million tonne sweetener in the 2010-11 sugar season.

The figure may vary slightly but the state would miss the target of producing 6 million tonne as was initially estimated.

Though cane acreage in UP has increased 17% compared to last year and farmers readily sold cane enthused by the high SAP, the state has been unable to achieve the production target. This is mainly due to floods at the beginning of the crushing season, which destroyed crops in certain places, and the low yield reported in parts of western UP.

The yield this year stands at about 56 tonne/hectare, which is much less than last year's 58.80 tonne/hectare. The recovery of sugar from cane is, however, a shade better than last year's. It stands at about 9.13% now.

source: ET