Sugar exports at 2.7 mn tonnes in FY23 so far; Bangladesh top market: AISTA

India has exported 27.83 lakh tonnes of sugar till February 9 of the ongoing 2022-23 marketing year, with Bangladesh and Indonesia being the top markets, trade body AISTA said on Thursday.

Among other nations, India has exported 2.47 lakh tonnes of the sweetener to Djibouti, 2.46 lakh tonnes to Somalia and 2.06 lakh tonnes to the UAE during October-February 9 of the current marketing year, the All India Sugar Trade Association (AISTA) said in a statement.

The sugar marketing year runs from October to September. The government has allowed export of 60 lakh tonnes till May of the 2022-23 marketing year.

According to AISTA, mills have exported a total of 27,83,536 tonnes of sugar from October 1, 2022 to February 9 this year.

About 4.24 lakh tonne is under loading, while 3.79 lakh tonne of sugar has been delivered to refineries, considered to be deemed export in the said period, it added.

Sugar exports from India, the world's major sugar producing nation, stood at 112 lakh tonnes in the 2021-22 marketing year.

As per AISTA's initial projections, sugar output will be lower at 35.8 million tonnes during the 2022-23 marketing year, from a record 36.5 million tonnes in the previous year.