India's sugar output to be 24.8 MT: USDA

New Delhi: The US farm department has estimated India's sugar production at 24.8 million tonne for    the ongoing 2013-14 season, higher than the 23.8 MT forecast by the domestic industry body ISMA. The country had already produced 23.15 MT sugar till April 15 of the current October-September season, as per the  data maintained by Indian Sugar Mills Association.   

The US Department of Agriculture said the output is   expected to be lower than 25.1 MT achieved in the 2012-13 season. It said the output in India - the world's second largest producer and biggest consumer of sugar - is expected to be higher as cane production has risen and favourable monsoon conditions have improved the overall sugarcane recovery to 10.25 per cent, an increase of 0.25 per cent over last year. USDA said sugar output in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh - the country's top producers - is likely to be 7.73 MT and 6.78    MT respectively, for this year.  

In 2013, Maharashtra had manufactured 8 MT, while Uttar    Pradesh produced 7.46 MT.    Production in Karnataka is expected to be exceptionally  high at 4.2 MT this year, as against 3.4 MT in the year-ago    period, it said.  Sugar output in Tamil Nadu and Gujarat is expected to be 1.5 MT and 1.18 MT respectively, this year. Last year, Tamil Nadu had produced 1.8 MT and Gujarat, 1.13 MT. Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) has revised the output for this year from 25 MT to 23.8 MT due to lower output  in key producing states.