Fractured/Earth

on the day the sharad pawar story appeared, we put this email interview with him online as well. take a look.

The press recently reported that you wanted a high subsidy (Rs.3,500/ton) for sugar exports. If Indian sugar is not globally competitive, why do we want to export it? If there is no domestic shortage of sugar and release the surplus irrigation water for other crops? Also, isn’t this decision in violation of WTO norms? Your comments.

There is excess availability of sugar over domestic demand. Inability to sell sugar had affected the capacity of industry to make payments to cane farmers. The export market was also not available due to lower global prices. Industry had therefore requested for incentives for sugar exports. A Group of Ministers (GoM) headed by me had been constituted to look into this demand. On the recommendation of the GoM, Government has approved export incentive of Rs.3,300/- per ton for raw sugar export.