India has extended its ban on exports of sugar for an additional year until October 2023, according to a government notification. The nation is the largest sugar producer in the world.

On Friday, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) issued a notification which said, “Restriction on export of sugar (raw, refined, and white sugar) is extended beyond October 31, 2022 till October 31, 2023, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. Other conditions will remain unchanged.”

New Delhi had issued a restriction on exports of sugar in May. It extended through the end of October, in an effort to slow the record rise in prices domestically for the sweetener, which were being produced by record high exports removing the commodity from the domestic market.

Last month it was reported that the government was poised to allow 5 million tons of sugar exports in a first tranche for the new marketing year that began on Oct. 1. Some experts believe that India will allow 3 million tons of sugar exports in a second tranche, which would bring this year’s total overseas shipments of sugar to about 8 million tons.

Up until May of the 2021 to 2022 marketing year ending in September, India’s sugar exports had surged 57% to 8.6 million tons.

Government and industry officials had predicted earlier this month that India was on course to produce a record sugar crop for 2022, which would allow for the export of up to 8 million tons.

It is expected that India will produce nearly 36.5 million tons of sugar in the 2022-2023 period, after diverting almost 4.5 million tons to ethanol production. That will mark a 2% increase in production from the previous season.