Concerns Over Sugar Production Impact Due to Shrinking Sugarcane Acreage in Uttar Pradesh

17-Sep-2026 11:47 AM

Lucknow. The cultivation area for sugarcane—a vital industrial crop—has declined across the top 11 sugarcane-producing districts of Uttar Pradesh, while crops in some areas face potential damage from natural disasters and adverse weather conditions. Uttar Pradesh is the leading sugarcane-producing state in the country and boasts the largest area under cultivation for the crop.

Sugar production in Uttar Pradesh is likely to decline during the 2026-27 marketing season (October-September). If sugarcane crushing begins in October, the sugar recovery rate is expected to drop because the cane will not have fully matured. Furthermore, rising demand and consumption of sugarcane by *gur* (jaggery) and *khandsari* units could lead to a supply shortfall for sugar mills; *gur* prices are currently hovering at attractive levels.

Industry analysts note that 20 of the state's highest-producing sugar mills are located within these 11 key sugarcane-producing districts. During the current 2025-26 marketing season, the state produced approximately 89.52 lakh tonnes of sugar, with these 20 mills accounting for a combined 68 percent of the output. However, these mills may face challenges in the 2026-27 marketing season. Sugarcane acreage has decreased by 1.6 percent, and crushing is likely to commence early, factors that could adversely affect sugar production.

During the ongoing 2025-26 marketing season, these 11 districts—Amroha, Bijnor, Bulandshahr, Hardoi, Lakhimpur Kheri, Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Pilibhit, Saharanpur, Shahjahanpur, and Sitapur—collectively produced 60.96 lakh tonnes of sugar; however, the sugarcane cultivation area across these districts has now shrunk to 17.14 lakh hectares.