No sugar shortage: 31 million MT sugar to be available during 2016-17

Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: Discounting fears of any sugar shortage in the country, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution has said that India would have about 30 - 31 million MT sugar stock available for the next sugar season 2016-17, which would be sufficient to meet the domestic consumption. 

The Ministry, in a press statement said that sugar production during 2016-17 season is estimated 23 - 24 million MT. Coupled with estimated carry over stock of 7.3 million MT from the current sugar season, the availability of sugar for the domestic consumption will 30 - 31 million MT, against the demand of about 25.5 million MT. Hence there will be no shortage of domestically produced sugar in India. 

During the current sugar season 2015-16, India had started with a carryover stock of 9 million MT from last season. The production of sugar has been estimated at about 25.3 million MT in the current season. Hence there is sufficient availability of sugar even for the current sugar season