The government will announce the quantum of sugar to be exported in cane crop season 2022-23 in about a week and will sell wheat in the open market to control prices if needed.

“We could announce the sugar export policy for 2022- 23 in a week,” food secretarySudhanshu Pandey told reporters.

Trade body Isma has estimated that the exports could be about 9 million tonnes in the October–September crop season 2022-23, lower than 11MT in the corresponding period last year due to increased diversion and higher diversion for ethanol.

However, Isma in its first advance estimates said the sugar output production is projected to be 36.5 million tonnes in the 2022-23 marketing season, an increase of 2 percent compared with the year-ago period.

The production in India, the world’s major producer of the sweetener, stood at 35.8mtduring the 2021-22 marketing season. The season is from October-September.