El Nino-hit Karnataka sugarcane farmers face falling yields and rising cultivation costs
Karnataka sugarcane farmers face declining yields due to weak monsoon rainfall linked to El Niño, alongside rising cultivation costs. The estimated nine-million-tonne yield reduction is worsening financial pressures, while global sugar prices rose 6.6% in October, reaching their highest level since April 2025.
Sugarcane farmers in Karnataka are facing declining yields and mounting financial pressure as weak monsoon rainfall linked to El Nino affects crop growth, while rising fertiliser, labour and fuel costs add to cultivation expenses, ABC News reported.
In Mysuru district, farmers have reported dry and underdeveloped sugarcane, with stalks yielding less juice than in the previous season. Farmer Phailwan Venkatesh said inadequate rainfall during July and August had affected crop growth, leaving growers struggling to recover their investments.
India, the world’s second-largest sugar producer and largest consumer, has also faced production challenges following excessive rainfall in 2025, which contributed to pest attacks and crop diseases.
Bhargabi Bharadwaj, a food systems risk expert at Chatham House, said climate-related disruptions could initially put pressure on prices even without causing an immediate physical shortage, potentially affecting food affordability and economic stability.
Global sugar prices rose 6.6 per cent in October, marking the fourth consecutive monthly increase and reaching their highest level since April last year, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.
In Karnataka, sugarcane yields are estimated to have declined by nine million tonnes compared with the previous year, according to Kurubar Shanta Kumar, president of the Karnataka State Sugarcane Growers Association. He highlighted farmers’ dependence on weather conditions and the difficulties of managing agricultural production amid unpredictable rainfall.
The Karnataka government is providing around $50 million in financial assistance to farmers, along with an additional $1.70 per tonne of sugarcane supplied to mills.
At the national level, the Centre has allowed duty-free imports of up to one million tonnes of sugar until December 31 to improve domestic availability and contain prices. It has also prohibited the use of sugar for ethanol production.
The impact of higher sugarcane prices is extending to businesses. In Mysuru, a sugarcane juice vendor has increased the price of a glass from Rs 10 to Rs 25, citing a doubling of his raw material cost to Rs 80 per kg.
Sweet manufacturers are also facing pressure, although some businesses are absorbing the additional costs rather than increasing prices for consumers.
Farmers, meanwhile, remain concerned about their ability to recover cultivation expenses. Venkatesh said lower yields, combined with higher input costs and borrowing, had reduced farm earnings and made loan repayments increasingly difficult.
The World Meteorological Organization has warned that El Niño conditions could persist until at least February 2027, increasing the risk of extreme heat, droughts and flooding in several parts of the world.
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Source : ChiniMandi
