India’s sugar production up 22%, recovery in UP higher but down in Karnataka
India’s sugar output in 2025-26 rose 22% year-on-year to 158.85 lakh tonnes by January 15, led by a sharp surge in Maharashtra. Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka saw modest gains, while overall recovery rates improved. The government reallocated part of the 15-lakh-tonne export quota.
India’s sugar production during the 2025-26 season (October-December) reached 158.85 lakh tonnes (lt) until January 15, up by 22 per cent from 130.60 lt a year ago, according to data compiled by the National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories Ltd (NFCSF), the industry body of cooperatives.
While there is a substantial jump in Maharashtra, other States have marginal increase over previous year. Bihar, Punjab, Haryana and Andhra Pradesh are the few States which have reported lower production.
Sugar production in Maharashtra was reported at 64.60 lt, over 50 per cent up from 43.05 lt year-ago. But in Uttar Pradesh, India’s largest sugarcane producer, the production is up by less than 7 per cent at 45.70 lt from 42.85 lt. Karnataka too has produced 30.70 lt against 27.10 lt, up by about 13 per cent. These three top States together share nearly 89 per cent in the total sugar production in the country so far this season.
On the production update, NFCSF said that 519 operating sugar mills have crushed 1,763.74 lt of sugarcane with a recovery rate of 9.01 per cent as of January 15 in current season as against 514 mills had crushed 1,484.04 lt of cane with a recovery rate of 8.80 per cent in the corresponding period a year earlier. Recovery rate is the actual sugar produced from sugarcane – 9 per cent means 9 kg sugar out of 100 kg .
Export quota reallocation
The recovery in Karnataka is lower this year at 8.05 per cent against 8.50 per cent year-ago and marginally up at 9 per cent against 8.80 per cent in Maharashtra. But in Uttar Pradesh, the recovery is much higher at 9.80 per cent from 9.05 per cent.
Meanwhile, the government issued the third order reallocating of export quota in current season as some mills had applied for exchanging those permits with domestic monthly release quantity of other mills.
As many as 16 mills have surrendered their export quota to the tune of 52,270 tonnes by exchanging with domestic quotas of 13 factories in the third Order. In the earlier two orders 29,174 tonnes and 85315 tonnes were allowed to be exchanged by the government.
The Food Ministry, in November 2025, notified export of 15 lt of sugar by allocating mill wise quantity under a fixed formula. Factories are allowed to complete the shipment by September 30.
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Source : The Hindu Business line
