An official source reported that the Committee of Economic Affairs (CCEA has fixed an export ceiling of 10 lakh tonnes for sugar during ‘00-01, thereby allowing private mills to undertake exports up to the ceiling level. CCEA approved the quantity ceiling proposal made by the consumer affairs and public distribution ministry last month. The govt. took the decision for exports in a bid to bring down the huge stocks of the commodity in the domestic market as India’s sugar stocks were estimated at 242 lakh tonnes against the consumption requirement of 151 lakh tonnes. It is reported that India had previously exported sugar for two consecutive years from ‘95-96, shipping a total of 11 lakh tonnes, but low international prices had made it a net importer of sugar. It may be pointed out that last year govt. had given the permission to export 25,000 tonnes of sugar in value added forms but there was a marginal export due to lack of price competitiveness of Indian sugar in the global market. |
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