India’s sugar production rose sharply in the first two months of the 2025/26 season, increasing 43% year-on-year due to higher recovery rates and faster crushing across key producing states, industry bodies reported on Tuesday.
According to the Indian Sugar & Bio-Energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA), mills produced 4.1 million metric tons of sugar by the end of November, compared with 2.88 million tons during the same period last year. The surge in output is expected to create a comfortable domestic surplus, potentially supporting additional exports, though it may place some downward pressure on global prices.
Maharashtra, the country’s largest sugar-producing state, recorded a more than three-fold rise in output to 1.7 million tons. Production in Uttar Pradesh climbed 9% to 1.4 million tons. However, Karnataka’s output slipped to 774,000 tons from 812,000 tons a year ago as farmer protests over cane pricing interrupted crushing operations.
The National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories (NFCSF) said sugar recovery rates improved to 8.51% from 8.29% a year earlier—an important metric that reflects the percentage of sugar extracted from sugarcane.
With less cane being diverted for ethanol production this season, the NFCSF has urged the government to permit an additional 1 million tons of sugar exports. India recently allowed 1.5 million tons of exports, but mills have struggled to secure deals as global prices remain lower than domestic rates.
Meanwhile, ISMA has called on the government to increase the minimum selling price of sugar, which has remained unchanged for more than six years despite rising production costs.
