The operational sugar mills in India have seen a decline this year compared to last year, which is impacting the overall sugarcane crushing and sugar production.

As of January 15, 2025, only 507 mills were operational, down from 524 mills during the same period last year.

This represents a decrease of 17 mills. The total sugar production is expected to remain weak due to this reduction in operational mills.

While some states like Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, and Bihar have seen a rise in the number of operational mills, others such as Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Gujarat have experienced a significant drop. For instance,

Uttar Pradesh increased from 120 to 122 operational mills, Karnataka from 74 to 77, and Bihar from 9 to 10. However, Maharashtra saw a decrease from 206 to 196 mills, Tamil Nadu from 26 to 14, and Gujarat from 16 to 15.

These six states are key contributors to India’s sugar production, and the drop in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Gujarat is particularly notable.

Other states like Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Telangana, and Uttarakhand saw no significant changes in the number of operational mills compared to the previous year.

The reduction in crushing mills in some of the leading sugar-producing states has raised concerns about lower sugar production during the current marketing season.