New Delhi, July 2 - India is expected to produce 15 million tonnes of sugar in the year to September, down 43 percent from a year ago, the finance ministry said in a survey on Thursday.
Government forecast is higher than trade estimates of 14.7 million tonnes for the current season.
Demand for sugar in India, the world's top consumer and the biggest producer after Brazil, was expected to be 22.5 million tonnes in 2008/09, the survey for the fiscal year to March 2009 said.
Hit by lower output estimates, India has allowed tax-free imports of raw sugar and has asked three state-run firms to import up to one million tonnes of white sugar before July.