Sugar Production Season Enters Final Phase

02-Apr-2026 04:03 PM

New Delhi: Based on the domestic sugarcane production estimates projected by the Union Ministry of Agriculture for the 2025-26 season, it appeared that crushing operations would continue for an extended period this time around, leading to a bountiful sugar output in the country.

Furthermore, the allocated ethanol quota was relatively modest, and the utilization of sugarcane components equivalent to 3–3.5 million tonnes of sugar for its production was deemed sufficient.

However, the scenario currently unfolding is far from encouraging. While it is true that by March 31, sugar production had surpassed the total output of the entire previous marketing season by approximately one million tonnes, the number of operational sugar mills has now dwindled to just 74; moreover, even these remaining units are failing to receive adequate supplies of raw material (sugarcane).

It appears that by the end of the current month—barring a handful of exceptions—all remaining units will cease operations, and the total sugar production will fall significantly short of the initial estimates. It now seems unlikely that the aggregate production will reach the 30-million-tonne mark.