Maharashtra regains top spot in sugar output, overtakes Uttar Pradesh
Maharashtra has emerged as India’s top sugar producer this season, overtaking Uttar Pradesh despite an overall decline in national output. Early mill closures and revised lower production estimates highlight tightening supply, even as cane crushing and recovery rates show modest improvement.
Maharashtra has taken the lead in sugar production this season, moving ahead of Uttar Pradesh, even as the country’s overall output has declined.
Data available till the end of March shows India produced 271 lakh tonnes of sugar. Of this, Maharashtra accounted for 98 lakh tonnes, while Uttar Pradesh produced 87 lakh tonnes.
The season has also seen an early closure of mills, with 467 out of 541 units across the country already stopping operations. Despite lower sugar output, cane crushing has increased, reaching 2,835 lakh tonnes, up by 180 lakh tonnes compared to the previous season.
Sugar recovery has improved slightly, rising to 9.56 per cent from 9.37 per cent last year. However, the overall production estimate has been revised downward to 315 lakh tonnes from the earlier projection of 350 lakh tonnes.
Initial estimates had placed Maharashtra’s output at 110 lakh tonnes and Uttar Pradesh’s at 105 lakh tonnes. While Uttar Pradesh had led production between 2016–17 and 2020–21, Maharashtra has regained its position this year.
The decline in Uttar Pradesh’s output is attributed to pest attacks on sugarcane, though the state continues to report better recovery rates compared to others.
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Source : Chinimandi
