India’s Sugar Exports Likely to Fall Short of 10 Lakh Tonne Quota

01-May-2025 07:56 PM

New Delhi. India’s sugar exports for the current 2024–25 marketing season are likely to fall short of the government-approved export quota of 10 lakh tonnes, with actual shipments now expected to reach only 8 lakh tonnes, according to Union Food Secretary.

Addressing a press conference, the Food Secretary stated that only around 3 lakh tonnes of sugar has been exported so far, with an additional 60,000 tonnes currently at Indian ports awaiting shipment.

Based on the current pace and market conditions, officials estimate the total export volume could cap at 8 lakh tonnes, despite there being no formal restrictions on the allocated quota.

The Central Government had announced the export quota of 10 lakh tonnes on January 20, 2025, after keeping sugar exports banned for the entire 2023–24 marketing season. The quota allocation was made in response to requests from the sugar industry.

The Food Ministry has projected total sugar production at 260 lakh tonnes for the 2024–25 season (October–September), most of which has already been produced by sugar mills across the country.

However, high domestic prices and uncompetitive global prices have made it difficult for Indian exporters to sign and execute export contracts profitably. This has led to slow progress despite the quota being in place.

A representative from the Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) had also remarked at a recent conference in Geneva that India may export only 6–7 lakh tonnes this season, further reinforcing the likelihood of lower-than-targeted exports.