Sugar firms have put up a good show in the quarter ended March 2008. During this period, eleven firms have aggregat­ ed a net profit of Rs 212.7 crore compared to a combined net loss of Rs 83.8 crore in the previous three quarters. The turn­ around is attributed to higher price realisation due to increase in sugar prices and decline in sugarcane costs. The sales went up 26 per cent compared to 11 per cent in the quarter ended December 2007. The cost of production increased 8 per cent compared to 9.9 per cent in the previous quarte1: EID Parry, Thiru Arooran Sugar, Bajaj Hind Sugar. Dwarikesh Sugar,· Oudh Sugar Mills and Upper Ganges Sugar have all reported profits after three consecutive quar­ ters of net loss.

BAJAJ HINDUSTHAN
Bajaj Hindusthan reported a net profit of Rs 43 crore with sugar realisations going up 5.3 per cent to Rs 14.3 per kg. Alcohol realisations also improved to Rs 20.63 a litre, up 4.3 per cent. The company's capacity ramp-up resulted in increased production of sugar. It also generated higher rev­ enues from the highly-profitable power cogeneration busi­ ness. However, the company accounted for its cane costs for the quarter at Rs 1,100 per tonne as against the actual cost of Rs 1,180 a tonne. If- the company had accounted for the actual cane cost, it would have resulted in a loss of Rs 11 crore.