Due to fall in the
prices of free sale sugar, some sugar mills are finding it difficult
to liquidate the cane price dues of the sugarcane purchased during
the season 2001-2002.
As on October 1,
2002, the carry over stocks of sugar at the beginning of 2002-2003
sugar season are provisionally estimated at 106.63 lakh tonnes.
The Government does
not undertake any export of sugar. The export of sugar is allowed
freely under the Export-Import (EXIM) Policy and various sugar
mills/exporters are exporting sugar as per their commercial judgement.
A number of steps have also been taken to facilitate exports of
sugar.
Government of India
announces the Statutory Minimum Price of sugarcane (SMP) for each
season. For the current 2002-2003 sugar season, the SMP of sugarcane
has been fixed at Rs. 64.50 per quintal, linked to a basic recovery
of 8.5% as against the SMP of Rs. 62.05 per quintal, linked to
the basic recovery of 8.5% fixed for the previous sugar season
2001-2002.
This information
was given in Rajya Sabha today by Shri V. Sreenivasa Prasad, Minister
of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, in
reply to a question of Miss Mabel Rebello.
