India can import sugar because there is a shortage of domestic supply

Source: thesaigontimes.vn Farmers harvest sugarcane in a field in Kolhapur district of Maharashtra state, western India in November. Photo: Reuters With sugarcane output falling in major growing areas, the outlook for the crop is bleak. India's new sugarcane production, starting in October, is reinforcing forecasts that the country will start importing sugar in 2024. India's sugar output could fall even further in the next crop year, pulling lasting until September 2025. Low water levels in the reservoirs of Maharashtra state and Karnataka state, which produce nearly 50% of the country's sugar, are pushing farmers to switch to growing other crops, which require less water and come in a shorter duration than with sugarcane, such as sorghum (sorghum) and mung beans, according to a Reuters survey of more than 200 farmers. Reuters calculations based on this survey show that India's sugar output is likely to decline this season and next, in line with internal traders' forecasts. ...