Sugar mills in India have exported 4.25 million tonnes so far in 2020-21. Mills have also contracted to export 5.85 million tonnes of sugar so far, against the 6 million tonnes quota assigned by the food ministry in January this year, All India Sugar Trade Association (AISTA) said in a statement.

About 1.5 lakh tonnes of sugar is left to be exported, and some sugar mills are finding it difficult to locate small quantities left with mills, it said and requested the government to publish the unshipped export quota. According to AISTA, mills have exported 4.25 million tonnes of sugar from January 1 till June 7, 2021. Of the total exports undertaken so far, maximum exports have been conducted to Indonesia at 1.40 million tonnes this year, followed by Afghanistan at 5,20,905 tonnes and the UAE at 4,36,917 tonnes and Sri Lanka 3,24,113 tonnes.

About 3,59,665 tonnes of sugar are loading. An additional 4,98,462 tonnes of sugar is in transit and delivered to port-based refineries, it said. “The US has withdrawn oil restrictions on Iran, and there are chances of sugar exports to Iran. India’s highest sugar exports were to Iran last year,” AISTA Chairman Praful Vithalani said.