SANGLI/SATARA/SOLAPUR: India is set to produce lesser sugar than previously estimated by industry bodies and government agencies, with the cane crop maturing early and losing weight due to weather conditions in key growing regions, farmers and traders told Reuters.
Lower sugar output could prevent the world's second-biggest exporter from allowing additional exports, potentially supporting global prices SBc1, LSUc1, and helping rivals Brazil and Thailand to increase their shipments.
India was estimated to produce 34 to 34.3 million tonnes of sugar in the 2022/23 marketing year ending on Sept. 30, down from last season's 35.8 million tonnes, according to trade bodies last month.
But falling sugar cane yields in top producing Maharashtra state and third-biggest producer Karnataka due to early maturity of the crop has been prompting some trade houses to scale down production estimates further.
"Our current estimate is 33.5 million tonnes. We would not rule out a downside risk to below 33 million tonnes, which would be very concerning for global sugar supplies," Mauro Virgino, head of trading intelligence at Alvean, told Reuters.
Alvean, the world's largest sugar trader, did two extensive field surveys, including one earlier this month, before cutting down the production estimate, Virgino said.
Another global trade house has reduced output estimate to 32.4 million tonnes, anticipating a big drop in Maharashtra's production to around 11.3 million tonnes.
Maharashtra's sugar cane commissioner was expecting the state to produce 12.8 million tonnes.
More than two dozen farmers in the state told Reuters last week that the cane crop has been flowering due to early maturity.
"The cane crop is just 10 months old, but started flowering last month and losing weight," Avinash Thombare, a sugar cane grower from Satara district, said, as he showed the crop with white flowers.
Widespread early flowering, a sign of crop stress, was induced by reduced solar radiation during the cane development period due to abnormal cloudy conditions during the last half of the monsoon season, Alvean's Virgino said.
Sugar mills in Maharashtra and neighbouring Karnataka started to face cane shortage and at least 17 mills in the country have closed operations so far, while another two dozen were expected to close before the end of February, according to a government official, who declined to be named.
The continuous downward revision in output estimate has closed the possibility of additional exports, another government official, who also declined to be named, said.
India has allowed sugar mills to export only 6.1 million tonnes of the sweetener in the current season, down from the record 11 million tonnes exported in the previous season.
The country mainly exports sugar to Indonesia, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Sudan, Somalia and the United Arab Emirates.
Reuters
Tue Feb 21 2023
Sugar mill workers load harvested sugar cane in a tractor trolley in Sangli district, in the western state of Maharashtra, India. - REUTERS/Filepic
Penampilan pertama Trump di konvensyen GOP selepas terselamat cubaan bunuh
Donald Trump menghadiri Konvensyen Kebangsaan Republikan pada malam Isnin, penampilan umum pertamanya sejak terselamat daripada cubaan bunuh.
Malaysia pantau perkembangan insiden tembakan di Masjid Muscat
Wisma Putra melalui Kedutaan Besar Malaysia di Muscat, Oman sedang giat menyelaras usaha dengan pihak berkuasa tempatan untuk mendapatkan maklumat lanjut.
Ini antara pencapaian Pan-gon bersama Harimau Malaya
Kim Pan-gon memiliki rekod yang cukup baik bersama Malaysia, menjadi pengendali Harimau Malaya paling banyak mendapatkan keputusan yang positif sejak beberapa tahun kebelakangan ini.
Kementerian Komunikasi umum Pakej Rahmah Prabayar Siswa
Kementerian Komunikasi hari ini mengumumkan Pakej Rahmah Prabayar Siswa pada harga tidak melebihi RM30.
Messi harap cepat pulih daripada kecederaan
Kapten Argentina, Lionel Messi berharap agar beliau cepat pulih daripada kecederaan buku lali yang dialaminya perlawanan akhir Copa America.
MARA diminta terus teroka potensi industri halal global - Ahmad Zahid
MARA diminta untuk terus meneroka potensi antarabangsa dalam industri halal yang mempunyai prospek besar menerusi program Gate to Global (GTG).
Saya akan rindu bau durian - Kim Pan-gon
Menurut Kim Pan-gon, beliau akan tetap bangga dengan pasukan bola sepak Malaysia walaupun dimana beliau berada.
Katanya beliau akan merindui bau durian dan langit Malaysia. #AWANInews
Katanya beliau akan merindui bau durian dan langit Malaysia. #AWANInews
Kim Pan-gon letak jawatan berikutan komitmen peribadi
Pengurus pasukan kebangsaan Malaysia, Kim Pan-gon menyatakan perletakan jawatan tersebut kerana komitmen peribadi.
#AWANInews
#AWANInews
Penggunaan dron tingkat keberkesanan pemantauan pencemaran - Nik Nazmi
Penggunaan dron membolehkan pemantauan pencemaran alam sekitar dan hidupan liar serta pencerobohan hutan dilaksanakan dengan lebih berkesan.
Kim Pan-gon letak jawatan ketua jurulatih, akan terus rindui sokongan rakyat Malaysia
Beliau telah mengadakan pertemuan dengan Presiden FAM Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin, sebelum kedua-dua mereka mencapai persetujuan berhubung keputusannya itu.
India kekal negara paling ramai penduduk abad ini - PBB
India dijangka kekal sebagai negara paling ramai penduduk di dunia dan berdepan tekanan ekonomi dan alam sekitar.
Wanita paling ramai terkorban dalam tragedi rempuhan perhimpunan keagamaan di India
Kebanyakan mangsa rempuhan di sebuah perhimpunan keagamaan Hindu di negeri Uttar Pradesh, utara India pada Selasa adalah wanita, menurut senarai kematian.
Lebih 100 terbunuh dalam rempuhan di Uttar Pradesh, India
Lebih 100 orang dilaporkan terbunuh dan ramai lagi cedera dalam rempuhan semasa satu perhimpunan keagamaan Hindu di negeri Uttar Pradesh.
Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Antara pelbagai berita luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
India siap sedia tangani banjir besar susulan gelombang haba
India sedang mengambil langkah untuk mengurangkan kesan banjir yang dijangka berlaku selepas ketibaan musim monsun susulan gelombang haba teruk musim panas ini yang menyebabkan kehilangan nyawa.
19 maut akibat strok haba di India
Sekurang-kurangnya lima orang maut akibat strok haba di ibu kota India dan hampir 14 lagi meninggal dunia di bandar jiran Noida dalam tempoh 72 jam yang lepas.
13 orang maut di negeri Tamil Nadu, India selepas minum arak tiruan
Sekurang-kurangnya 13 orang maut pada Rabu selepas meminum arak tiruan di negeri Tamil Nadu, India.
Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Antara pelbagai berita luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
India arah siasatan selepas insiden mencemaskan di landasan lapangan terbang Mumbai
Pengawal selia penerbangan India arah siasatan selepas insiden mencemaskan di landasan yang menyaksikan pendaratan dan pelepasan pesawat berlaku dalam sela beberapa saat.
PM Anwar ucap tahniah kepada Modi menang pilihan raya India
Anwar memuji kejayaan pelaksanaan demokrasi di India itu, yang mencatatkan lebih 642 juta pengundi sejak 19 April lepas.