ugar season
Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra on Tuesday expressed optimism about the upcoming sugarcane crop, stating that the outlook appears promising. He also urged industry stakeholders to reach a consensus on their demand to allocate export quotas only to mills willing to ship from their own facilities.
“We have sought the views of the industry. They should develop a consensus among themselves, and then they should come to us,” Chopra told PTI.
“I cannot say there is no consensus, but we have not received anything from them. Once that comes, then we can examine all the points and then take a holistic view.”
Currently, sugar exports are subject to government restrictions, with export volumes regulated through quotas allocated proportionally to mills based on past performance.
Responding to industry demands for an increase in the ex-mill price of ethanol derived from B-heavy molasses, sugarcane juice, sugar, or syrup, Chopra clarified: “We don’t recommend those prices. That responsibility lies with the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. They evaluate and make recommendations.”
Regarding the current sugar season (2024–25), which concludes next month, Chopra noted that production appears healthy, and prospects for the next sugarcane crop are significantly better than the previous year.
“We’re waiting for the advance estimates from the Ministry of Agriculture before making any formal assessment. But based on what we’ve seen so far, yield and production indicators are positive, so the crop should be a good one,” he said.
