Clouds of Crisis Over India’s Sugar Production in 2025-26

09-Jun-2025 08:57 AM

Clouds of Crisis Over India’s Sugar Production in 2025-26
★ India’s sugar production for the 2025-26 sugar season (October-September) is under threat. Early official data shows a slight decline in sugarcane acreage, which may impact overall output.
★ As of the first week of May, sugarcane area stood at 5.31 million hectares, slightly lower than 5.34 million hectares last year.
★ In Uttar Pradesh, sugarcane area was 2.8 million hectares, down from 2.88 million hectares the previous year.
★ Maharashtra and Karnataka saw an increase in acreage, but despite larger area, Karnataka’s production fell to 4.04 million tonnes from 5.14 million tonnes last year.
★ The USDA has projected India’s sugar production at 35.3 million tonnes for 2025-26, a 25% increase over the previous year. However, the domestic industry expects output in 2024-25 (excluding ethanol diversion) not to exceed 26.2 million tonnes.