New Delhi: India imported 25.18 lakh tonnes
of sugar during the 2008-09 season to augment domestic supply,
the government informed Parliament today.
"As per trade sources, the quantity of imported raw and
white sugar in the 2008-09 sugar season is 22.93 lakh tonnes
and 2.25 lakh tonnes, respectively," Minister of State for
Agriculture, Food and Public Distribution K V Thomas said in a
written reply to Rajya Sabha.
The country is reeling under
high prices due to lower
output as sugarcane acreage has fallen.
According to official data, sugar prices in retail
outlets
in most cities have surged over 70 per cent to Rs 35-
40 a
kg now from Rs 18-23 a kg in the same period last year.
The government allowed import of white/refined and
raw
sugar at zero duty soon after it became evident that sugar
production in the 2008-09 season was likely to be less than
anticipated, Thomas said in a separate reply.
Sugar season runs
from October to September.
According to official data, the country produced 14.7
million tonnes in the 2008-09 season,
compared with 26.3
million tonnes in the last season.
At present, sugar mills can import raw sugar at zero duty
under the open general licence (OGL) till December 2010.
Private traders are also allowed to import raw sugar that will
be processed in the domestic market till the end of next year,
the minister said.
Bureau Report
First Published: Friday, November 20, 2009, 18:50