Heavy rains to delay sugar cane crushing in top producer India

Reuters :
Heavy rainfall has spoiled Indian sugar mills’ plans for an early start to cane crushing so raw sugar exports could get underway before supplies start coming on the market from rival exporter Thailand, a senior industry official and dealers said.
The delay in cane crushing in the world’s biggest sugar producer and the second biggest exporter could push back shipments of raw sugar from India and may support global prices.
“The season is likely to get delayed by a fortnight since most cane growing areas are getting heavy rainfall,” said Prakash Naiknavare, managing director of the National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories Ltd.
India has received 88% more rainfall than normal so far in October.
Western state of Maharashtra and neighbouring Karnataka, the country’s biggest and the third-biggest sugar producing states, have had heavy rains, while the second biggest producing state of Uttar Pradesh got a heavy downpour last week.