Sugar output may drop to 30.5 mt in next season

India's sugar production is likely to decline marginally to 30.5 million tonne in the next 2021-22 season as more sugarcane will be diverted for ethanol making, a senior government official said on Monday. Sugar production is estimated to have reached 31 million tonne in the 2020-21 season (October-september), he said. India is the world's second biggest sugar producer after Brazil. “Sugarcane crop by and large is good this year. We are expecting diversion of more cane for ethanol making and as a result sugar production will be slightly lower at 30.5 million tonne during 2021-22 season,” Joint Secretary in the Food Ministry Subodh Kumar Singh said.