Did you know the word 'sugar' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'sharkara' meaning ground sugar? The first production of sugar began in northern India after the first century CE. Believe it or not, this is even supported by Indian mythology which states that the origin of sugarcane was in the garden of Indra as well as with stories of 'Iklavya' learning to make sugar from sugarcane. It was during the Gupta dynasty that sugar was first crystallized.
Western commerce has been monopolized by sugar since the 17th century. Previously solely accessible to the wealthy, it is today one of the most pervasive items, found in the majority of the things we eat. Millions of people were brought from Africa and forced to work inhumane hours on sugarcane plantations in the Caribbean and the Americas for a very long time. With globalization, white sugar, a crucial commodity in the emergence of global capitalism, became increasingly accessible and progressively more affordable.
Centuries later India established a five-year plan in the 1950s to promote the development of the sugar industry. Fast forward to today, India is now the largest producer of sugar in the world, with 26 million tonnes of cane sugar, Gur and Khandsari are produced every year. India still ranks first in the production of white sugar crystal. Recent sugar exports and sugar's conversion to ethanol both contributed to the maintenance of the demand-supply equilibrium and the stability of domestic sugar prices in India. At present, Indian sugar mills and distilleries make over Rs. 18,000 crore from the sale of ethanol, and by the end of the season, millers have paid 95% of all cane debts.
India produced 359 lakh tonnes of sugar in 2021–2022, an all-time record, surpassing Brazil to take the top spot in the world's production of the commodity. Government actions made at the right time helped safeguard the sugar industry. Strong industry foundations and more than enough output of sugarcane and sugar in the nation have made sure that sugar is still easily accessible to every Indian consumer despite the constant inflation in the country.
The sugar industry has become a major component of the Indian economy, promoting growth and development. Let's take a moment to appreciate India's long history and present success in the sugar industry!
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