Maharashtra, India's biggest sugar producing state, is likely to turn in a record 9.3 million tonnes sugar in 2011/12 as cane availability is forecast to rise to 82.5 million tonnes on a higher area of sowing, a senior government official said. "We have estimated availability of 82.5 million tonnes of cane and average recovery rate of 11.3 percent. That should materialise into 9.3 million tonnes of sugar next season," Vijay Singhal, sugar commissioner of the state, told Reuters.
The sugar year in India, the world's second-biggest producer after Brazil, runs from October to September. Singhal said farmers have expanded the area planted with cane to 1.04 million hectares for 2011/12 season from 1.02 million hectares this season, which saw cane production of 80.25 million tonnes and sugar output of 9.07 million tonnes.
India's monsoon season, key for 60 percent of the country that does not have adequate irrigation, runs from June to September and is expected overall to be slightly below normal this year. So far, rains have been six percent below average. But timely rainfall in cane-growing areas along with adequate irrigation facilities are prompting industry to estimate higher output for Maharashtra, Singhal said. "Cane-growing areas have reported sufficient rainfall. The crop is in a good condition. Even the recovery rate may rise next year."
The average sugar recovery rate in the state was 11.3 percent in 2010/11. Maharashtra had rains 11 percent below average in the week ending August 3 but in the season so far, rains have been just four percent below average, which is considered normal. Trade and industry officials say higher availability of cane together with a timely withdrawal of the monsoon, as is forecast, will help mills start crushing the new season cane on schedule, helping to boost sugar output.
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