Sugar exports get green signal

With sugar production estimated to surpass domestic demand,the government today allowed sugar exports to the tune of 5 lakh tonnes.

Five lakh tonnes of sugar exports have been allowed, said a minister emerging out of the meeting of Empowered Group of Ministers (EgoM) headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee today evening. Another Minister revealed that the EgoM has also allowed exports of organic pulses and organic sugar to the tune of 10,000 tonnes.

The move comes after a delay of about 3 months after former Food Minister Sharad Pawar had announced exports of 5 lakh tonnes of sugar in December last year. But,the issue was referred to EgoM in the wake of double digit food inflation. Subsequently,Pawar had recently written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh demanding allowing sugar exports citing surplus sugar output expected this season.