New Delhi, Dec 12 (PTI) India, the world’s second biggest sugar producer, has exported 1.79 lakh tonnes the sweetener so far in the new marketing year that began from October and maximum has been shipped to Sri Lanka. About 1.55 lakh tonnes of sugar is in pipeline for export during early January. Last year, mills could not fulfill the compulsory sugar export quota of 2 million tonnes and were able to make shipment of only 6.7 lakh tonnes. To liquidate surplus stock, the government this year again asked domestic sugar mills to mandatorily export 5 million tonnes in the 2018-19 marketing year (October-September) and to compensate expenses towards internal transport, freight, handling and other charges.
“About 2.15 lakh tonnes of sugar has been dispatched from sugar mills, out of which 1.79 lakh tonnes is exported/under loading. The balance 36,099 tonnes of raw sugar is moved to port-based sugar refineries for exports,” representative of one of the association said. Of the total sugar exported, raw sugar comprised 18,371 tonnes, white sugar 1,56,892 tonnes and refined sugar 4,586 tonnes, it added.
Maximum quantity of sugar has been exported to Sri Lanka at 84,536 tones, Somalia at 16,801 tonnes, Sudan at 11,558 tonnes and Afghanistan 11,018 tonnes. About 40,594 tonnes has been shipped to other countries.
Another industry body ISMA had recently said that mills have contracted to export 10 lakh tonnes of sugar so far.
The country’s sugar output is estimated to be 31.5 million tonnes in the 2018-19 marketing year, down from 32.5 million tonnes in the last year. The output is much higher than the annual domestic requirement of 26 million tonnes.
