New Delhi: India exported 16.92 lakh tonnes of sugar till January 4 in the current marketing year, including 59,596 tonnes to China, trade association AISTA, said.

According to a statement from the All India Sugar Trade Association (AISTA), India shipped 1.47 lakh tonnes of sugar to Bangladesh and 82,462 tonnes to Sri Lanka between October and January 4 of the current marketing year.

The sugar marketing year runs from October to September. The government has allowed export of 6 million tonnes till May.

AISTA reports that from October 1, 2022, and January 4, mills shipped 16,92,751 tonnes of sugar altogether.

More than 3.47 lakh tonnes of sugar are now being loaded, and 2.54 lakh tonnes of sugar have been delivered to refineries, which are assessed to constitute exports over the same period, it added.

A total of 1.70 lakh tonnes have been sent to Somalia, with 1.69 lakh tonnes going to the UAE, 1.50 lakh tonnes to Djibouti, and 1.37 lakh tonnes going to Sudan.

Up till January 4 of the current marketing year, India shipped 1.36 lakh tonnes to Malaysia, 1.18 lakh tonnes to Indonesia, and 1.08 lakh tonnes to Saudi Arabia, according to AISTA.

India being one of the biggest sugar exporter in the world, exported 11.2 million tonnes of sugar in the marketing year 2021–2022.

AISTA has made an initial forecast that sugar output will be lower, at 35.8 million tonnes during the 2022–2023 marketing year, down from a record 36.5 million tonnes the year before.

ALSO READ: Cabinet approves Rs 2,600 cr scheme to promote RuPay debit cards