The reduction in elective surgeries worldwide, and in turn the need for pain relief, has forced opiates processor Sun Pharma to slash its Tasmanian poppy growing area for the upcoming season.

Job losses have been reported at the global companies' Latrobe factory, but a spokesman said the drop in demand will not affect its processing plant at Port Fairy.

"Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the demand for pain management therapies has been impacted globally," he said.

"We have made an adjustment in our growing area given the change in global demand.

"Our operations at the Port Fairy manufacturing site continue as normal."

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The pandemic also shut some pharmaceutical manufacturing plants in the United States and Europe for several months.

After the lockdown, Sun Pharma ramped up production facilities globally to produce COVID-19 specific medicines such as anesthesia, anxiety, antiviral and antibiotic medications.

The companies' latest quarterly figures show sales have spiked for the third quarter and nine months ending December 31 2020.

Dilip Shanghvi, managing director of the company said, "Our Q3 performance reflects continued profitable business growth in a market that is gradually recovering from the impact of the global pandemic.

"Most of our businesses have done well over Q3 last year. Our global specialty sales have continued to show an improving trend and have crossed pre-Covid levels. Global Ilumya sales for nine months ended December 20 have already crossed last full year's sales."

Sun Pharma is the world's fourth largest specialty generic pharmaceutical company and India's top pharmaceutical company.

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