MUMBAI: India is likely to produce 28.3 million metric tons of sugar in the current season ending in September, down from an earlier estimate of 29.6 million tons, a leading trade body said on Friday. In the major sugarcane-growing regions of Maharashtra and Karnataka, yields per acre are lower than initially expected because of abnormal weather patterns, the All India Sugar Trade Association (AISTA) said in a statement. India sugar output seen lower than forecast, curbing exports Gross sugar production in the season is likely to reach 31.5 million tons, of which about 3.2 million tons will be diverted for ethanol production, the AISTA said.