Sugarcane Acreage Declines; Crop Progress Under Watch

25-Aug-2026 02:26 PM

New Delhi: A heated debate is underway over rising sugar prices, and the government is facing considerable challenges in trying to control them. Meanwhile, the area under sugarcane cultivation at the national level has declined by 43,000 hectares, from 58.87 lakh hectares last year to 58.44 lakh hectares this year.

In major producing states such as Maharashtra and Karnataka, inadequate rainfall in some areas has raised concerns about partial crop damage. Crop conditions in some other states are also reportedly not encouraging. In Uttar Pradesh, the crop is being closely monitored.

Given the challenging situation in the sugar market, the government wants all sugar mills to begin sugarcane crushing from October 15. However, practical difficulties could arise in some regions. If the sugarcane does not fully mature by then, the average sugar recovery rate could decline, potentially causing financial losses to sugar mills.

It will also be interesting to see what policy the government adopts regarding ethanol production.