ISMA seeks permission to export 80 lakh tonnes of sugar in 2022-23

New Delhi: Sugar industry body ISMA has demanded that the government should allow exports of 80 lakh tonnes of sweetener in the 2022-23 marketing year starting October in view of surplus production.

Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) president Aditya Jhunjhunwala has written a letter to food and consumer affairs minister Piyush Goyal in this regard. In the current 2021-22 marketing year ending September, the government has allowed sugar exports of 112 lakh tonnes and mills are likely to ship the entire quantities.

In May, the government had imposed restrictions on export of sugar beyond 100 lakh tonnes, but later allowed another 12 lakh tonnes of shipments, taking the total to 112 lakh tonnes for 2021-22. Sugar marketing year or season runs from October to September. "We would like to request the government to allow 80 lakh tonnes of exports for 2022-23 SS (Sugar Season) ...," the ISMA President said in the letter.

As per preliminary estimate, Jhunjhunwala said the net sugar production, without considering the diversion of sugar for production of ethanol, is expected to increase to about 400 lakh tonnes in 2022-23 from 394 lakh tonnes in the current marketing year.

However, he said 45 lakh tonnes of sugar are expected to get diverted for ethanol in 2022-23 marketing year as against 34 lakh tonnes in the current marketing year. This means that actual sugar production in 2022-23 would be 355 lakh tonnes, the ISMA president said.