India’s Domestic Sugar Production Projected to Drop to 261 Lakh Tonnes in 2024-25

02-May-2025 06:15 PM

New Delhi. India's domestic sugar production for the 2024–25 marketing season is estimated to dip to around 261 lakh tonnes, according to the National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories (NFCSF). This figure includes approximately 3.80 lakh tonnes expected from a special crushing session in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu between June and September.

This marks a significant 18.23% decline compared to last season’s production of 319 lakh tonnes, with output falling short by 58.15 lakh tonnes. So far, from October 1, 2024, to April 30, 2025, sugar production stands at 256.95 lakh tonnes, down 57.70 lakh tonnes or 18.34% from the same period last year.

The drop in production spans across key states:

  • Uttar Pradesh: 92.45 lakh tonnes (down from 103.35 lakh tonnes)

  • Maharashtra: 80.90 lakh tonnes (down from 109.95 lakh tonnes)

  • Karnataka: 40.40 lakh tonnes (down from 51.40 lakh tonnes)

  • Gujarat: 8.90 lakh tonnes (down from 9.20 lakh tonnes)

  • Tamil Nadu: 4.80 lakh tonnes

Nationwide, sugarcane crushing fell by 11.45%, from 3115.12 lakh tonnes to 2758.57 lakh tonnes. The average sugar recovery rate also dropped from 10.10% to 9.31%.

As of April 30, only 19 sugar mills remain operational (11 in Uttar Pradesh, 7 in Tamil Nadu, and 1 in Maharashtra), with 515 mills already closed for the season.

With an estimated 32 lakh tonnes of sugarcane diverted for ethanol production, the reduced availability of cane for crushing has further strained output. Notably, Uttar Pradesh is poised to surpass Maharashtra as the top sugar-producing state this season.

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