The average sugar recovery (from sugarcane crushing) till November-end was 8.51 per cent this year, up from 8.27 per cent
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A nearly four-time higher sugar production in Maharashtra has helped India to register a 50 per cent growth to reach 41.35 lakh tonnes (lt) output during the first two months of the current season, which began on October 1, data released by the National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories (NFCSF) showed.
As of November 30, as much as 486 lt of sugarcane was crushed against 334 lt a year ago, leading to a sugar production of 41.35 lt against 27.60 lt a year ago, NFCSF said in a statement. The average sugar recovery (from sugarcane crushing) till November-end was 8.51 per cent this year, up from 8.27 per cent in the corresponding period a year ago, it said.
According to data compiled by NFCSF, sugar production during October-November was 16.75 lt against 4.60 lt a year ago in Maharashtra, 14.10 lt against 12.90 lt in Uttar Pradesh, 8.20 lt versus 7 lt in Karnataka, and 0.9 lt versus 0.75 lt in Gujarat. Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka are the top three sugar producers in the country and their combined share in the first two months of production was over 94 per cent.
Operations in full swing
“The normal monsoon and retreating rains have concluded, and sugarcane cutting operations are currently in full swing, except in some pockets of Maharashtra and Karnataka where farmers agitations are underway,” the sugar cooperative body said.
But it reiterated its forecast that gross sugar production at the end of the current season would remain at 350 lt. Based on the Cycle-1 ethanol allocation by oil marketing companies (OMCs), around 35 lt of sugar is expected to be diverted for ethanol production, resulting in a net sugar production of 315 lt.
Sugar production in Maharashtra has been estimated at 110 lt, Uttar Pradesh at 105 lt, Karnataka at 55 lt, and Gujarat at 8 lt for the entire season.
Citing that against an expected domestic consumption of 290 lt and opening stock of 50 lt (as of October 1, 2025), India will have a balance of about 75 lt in sugar mills’ godowns, it said, adding this would block huge funds, mounting interest burden on mills.
Facing uncertainty
Therefore, NCSF has requested the government to allow an additional 10 lt for exports, over and above the already permitted 15 lt, NFCSF said. “This move would not only help improve domestic market sentiment by firming domestic sugar prices, but will not adversely impact the current low international sugar prices in view of small trenches of Indian sugar entering global market,” it said.
Pointing out that the entire sugar sector continues to face uncertainty regarding the long-pending revision of the Minimum Selling Price (MSP) of sugar, NFCSF President Harshvardhan Patil said: “There is an urgent need to revise the current MSP to ₹41 per kg. It may be noted that revenue share given to farmers in major sugarcane-producing countries such as Brazil and Thailand is around 60–65 per cent, without any minimum guarantee (FRP), whereas in India, it works out to 75-80 per cent based on ₹41 per kg MSP.”
Prakash Naiknavare, Managing Director of NFCSF, said that there is an urgent need for an upward revision in the sugar-based ethanol prices.
Published on December 1, 2025