Delhi Delhi: Indian Sugar and Bio-Energy Producers Association (ISMA) Director General Deepak Ballani told ANI that India will have sufficient sugar at the start of the next marketing season starting in October 2025. In a telephone interview, Ballani informed that India will have around 60 lakh tonnes of sugar available as opening stock for the next marketing season, while the standard norm is 50-55 lakh tonnes.
According to him, the opening stock of the 2024-25 marketing season was 80 lakh tonnes. Sugar production for 2024-25 is estimated at 272 lakh tonnes, down by around 15 per cent year-on-year from the 320 lakh tonnes produced in 2023-24.
The opening stock of 80 lakh tonnes and the estimated production of 272 lakh tonnes will take the total sugar availability to 352 lakh tonnes in 2024-25. India consumes around 280 lakh tonnes of sugar annually. This will leave around 60 lakh tonnes available as opening stock for the next season.
After restricting sugar trade in the 2023-24 season, the central government on January 21 this year allowed sugar producers to export 10 lakh tonnes of the sweetener.
The government had restricted sugar exports last year, possibly to maintain price stability in the domestic markets.
“Even after exporting 10 lakh tonnes, India will close the season at 60 lakh tonnes. Normally, the government wants to keep 50-55 lakh tonnes as normal closing stock. Even after allowing exports, we will still have more closing stock. That is why the government has allowed exports,” Ballani said.The sugar marketing season in India runs from October to September.
“We have already exported about 600,000-700,000 tonnes (physical and contract). We have time till September…and I think in the next two months we will complete our 1 million export quota,” Ballani said. During the interview, the ISMA DG raised concerns about sugar prices in India and how they are lagging behind the pace of fair remunerative price. Currently, the ex-mill price of sugar in Maharashtra is Rs 3,800 per quintal and in Uttar Pradesh it is Rs 4,000-4,050 per quintal. Ballani expects the domestic sugar market to remain firm in the near future and the price will remain in the range of Rs 4000-4100 per quintal.
