Sugar Production Growth Falls Significantly Short of Expectations

20-Apr-2026 03:26 PM

New Delhi. For the current marketing season of 2025-26 (October–September), sugar production was initially projected to exceed 300 lakh tonnes; however, it now appears doubtful that actual production will even reach the 280 lakh-tonne mark.

Sugarcane crushing operations have already ceased in most states—including Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Gujarat—with only a few units in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu remaining operational. There is a strong likelihood that these remaining units, too, will shut down by the end of the current month.

As of April 15 this season, domestic sugar production stood at approximately 275 lakh tonnes—an increase of merely 8 percent compared to the production recorded during the corresponding period last year. Earlier estimates had projected a growth rate exceeding 17 percent.

Although sugar production witnessed a robust increase in Maharashtra and Karnataka, output lagged behind in Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat. Production figures also remained uninspiring in states such as Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, and Uttarakhand.

Maharashtra alone produced slightly over 99 lakh tonnes of sugar. Special sugarcane crushing operations are scheduled to take place in Tamil Nadu and Northern Karnataka during the months of July and August.