Sugar production in India has taken a significant hit during the first six weeks of the current marketing season, with a 44% decline compared to the same period last year.

Domestic sugar production during this period has reached only 7.10 lakh tons, a shortfall of 5.60 lakh tons from last season's 12.70 lakh tons.

This sharp drop is attributed primarily to delays in the crushing of sugarcane, which has impacted production across major sugar-producing states.

A key issue has been the slow start to sugarcane crushing in several states. The National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories reports that only 144 sugar mills were operational by November 15, compared to 264 mills during the same period last year.

Crushing in Maharashtra, the country's largest sugarcane-producing state, has been delayed, with mills only starting operations on November 15. Last year, 103 mills in Maharashtra were already operational by mid-November.

Other states, including Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh, also faced delays in their sugarcane crushing activities. In these states, 40 mills in Karnataka and 85 mills in Uttar Pradesh were operational by mid-November, but the pace of crushing remained slow. Crushing began in Haryana from November 15 as well.

Despite the slower pace of crushing, sugar production is expected to pick up in the coming months as crushing intensifies across key sugarcane-producing states like Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and others.

The Federation has estimated that overall sugar production for the 2024-25 marketing season will be around 280 lakh tons, a decrease of 39 lakh tons from the previous season's 319 lakh tons. There is also concern that the sugarcane crop itself may face a decline, further affecting overall production.