17 percent decline in sugar production till mid-December

18-Dec-2024 04:22 PM

India's sugar production has seen a significant decline of 17% during the early months of the 2024-2025 marketing season, as per data from the Indian Sugar and Bio Energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA).

From October 1 to December 15, 2024, the total sugar production reached 61.39 lakh tonnes, compared to 74.05 lakh tonnes during the same period last year.

This drop in production can largely be attributed to delayed sugarcane crushing in key producing states like Maharashtra and Karnataka. In Karnataka, crushing started 7 to 12 days late, and in Maharashtra, it was delayed by 15 to 20 days. These delays have impacted the overall production.

Despite the challenges in Maharashtra and Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh has shown a modest increase in production, rising from 22.11 lakh tonnes last year to 23.04 lakh tonnes this year.

However, Maharashtra's production fell significantly from 24.45 lakh tonnes to 16.78 lakh tonnes, and Karnataka's production dropped from 17.56 lakh tonnes to 13.85 lakh tonnes.

Additionally, a notable shift is the use of sugarcane for ethanol production. This season, around 40 lakh tonnes of sugarcane will be diverted for ethanol production, nearly double the quantity used last season (21.50 lakh tonnes).

This shift could further impact sugar production, as ethanol extraction reduces the quantity of sugar recovered from sugarcane.

Other states like Tamil Nadu and Gujarat are also experiencing lagging sugar production compared to last year, along with a decrease in recovery rates.