The government on Wednesday hiked the sugar production estimate for the 2010-11 marketing year (October-September) to 24.5 million tonnes (mt) from 23 mt earlier. "This will be the best year in terms of sugar production and productivity... The production this year will be in the range of 24-24.5 million tonnes," food, PDS and civil supplies minister Sharad Pawar said. The current government estimate is virtually on par with that of the...

Uttar Pradesh is not a state readily associated with dynamic economic reform. But the state has taken giant strides in reforming one of the least reformed industries in India: the sugar industry. The country’s second largest sugar producing state after Maharashtra is undertaking an aggressive privatisation of its state-owned Sugar Mills. It has, just recently, successfully sold off 10 of the 11 operating units of the state’s Sugar Corporation to...

With just a month remaining for sugarcane crushing, a confrontation between farmers and private millers in Uttar Pradesh on the price to be paid to growers is on the cards. In no exception to previous years, both parties have divergent views on what should a farmer get for his produce. At a meeting of a committee formed under the chairmanship of Uttar Pradesh Cane Commissioner Kamran Rizvi to fix the state-advised...

Food and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar today said the government will not take any decision on decontrol of the sugar sector without consulting the states and the process of which will begin in 8-10 days. "I am going to start the process of discussion with the stakeholders and the state governments in 8-10 days time. Without the consultation, I will not move any proposal (on decontrol) to the Cabinet," he told...

Anticipating better production in 2010-11 sugar year starting next month, the government may cut the quantity of sugar that mills have to contribute for supply through ration shops to 12 per cent of country's total output from the current 20 per cent. "We are seriously considering to cut the levy sugar obligation on mills from the current level to 12 per cent in anticipation of higher production in 2010-11 season,"...