No sugar for EU yet!

No sugar for EU yet: India 

fnbworld bureau/New Delhi

Domestic sugar shortages coupled with an all-out Opposition assault on the Government inside the Parliament compelled India to cancel the export of 10,000 metric tons of sugar to the European Union in the marketing year to September.

In a statement, the directorate general of foreign trade said, "Allocation of 10,000 million tons of white sugar for export to European Union for the fiscal year 2009-10 stands withdrawn."

Earlier in February, the government had said it would allow the New Delhi-based Indian Sugar Exim Corp. to export the sugar if a similar quantity would be imported. India, the world's largest sugar consumer and currently a major importer, is facing a shortfall after a second consecutive year of poor sugarcane harvests.

The country needs about 23 million tons of sugar annually, while it expects to produce 16 million tons in the marketing year that started on Oct. 1. Meanwhile, sugar output in Uttar Pradesh, the country's second biggest sugarcane producing state is expected to be around 4.2 million tons to 4.4 million tons, almost 500,000-600,000 tone more than the November estimate.

Production in Maharashtra is now estimated to be more than 6 million tons, almost 1.3 million tons more than the earlier estimate. As per the report of the cane commissioners, production in Gujarat is now expected to be around 1.16 million tons, up from November estimate of 1.15 million tons. In Tamil Nadu, sugar production is expected to be 166,000 tons more than the earlier estimate of 1.08 million tons at 1.25 million tons. Production in Karnataka is projected to be around 2.05 million tons, more than the November estimate of 1.9 million tons.

While in Punjab, sugar production this year is expected to be around 170,000 tons and in Uttarakhand, the output is estimated to be around 235,000 tons. Around 200,000 tons of sugar will be produced in other states. Sugar production in Andhra Pradesh is projected to be around 436,000 tons, in Bihar is 199,000 tons, in Haryana, sugar output is projected at 202,000 tons.