Uttar Pradesh sugar output down 13% in March but India’s output up 9% for the season
India’s sugar production reached 271.20 lakh tonnes by March 31, up 9% year-on-year, but momentum is slowing. Uttar Pradesh output declined for the first time due to lower cane yields, while most mills have shut operations. Strong gains in Maharashtra and Karnataka supported overall output as the crushing season nears closure.
India’s sugar production, which was 10 per cent higher until a fortnight ago, reached 271.20 lakh tonnes (lt) as of March 31. This was against 248.65 lt a year ago, up by 9 per cent, according to the National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories Ltd (NFCSF). The latest data show a fall in production in Uttar Pradesh, for the first time this season, as it was higher until March 15.
businessline was first to report about a possible drop in sugar production in Uttar Pradesh when farmers in some areas complained about as high as 30 per cent drop in yield of sugarcane. “Due to an early start and higher crushing as well as higher recovery during October-December, the overall sugar production was showing on higher side, though monthwise production started falling from January in Uttar Pradesh,” an industry expert said.
According to NFCSF data, there was 3 per cent drop, each during January and February, but the fall has widened to 13 per cent in March in Uttar Pradesh.
467 units shut
The industry body of cooperative sugar mills said that as many as 74 mills across India are currently in operation while 467 units have closed, including 100 factories in the past fortnight. In the year-ago period, 113 mills were in operation and 420 had finished crushing.
In Uttar Pradesh, which failed all estimates, the sugar production has reached 87.45 lt as of March 31 in the current season against 87.70 lt in the corresponding period in 2024-25 season (October-September). The higher production over a year ago was more than 2 per cent till end of February. As many as 83 plants in the State have ended crushing, while 38 are still in operation, though many of them are expected to close by April 10, sources said.
According to NFCSF data, mills in Uttar Pradesh have crushed 857.35 lt of sugarcane against 904.12 lt a year ago. However, due to a higher recovery rate of 10.20 per cent, up from 9.70 per cent last season, the sugar production is better despite drop in crushing. Recovery rate is the quantity of sugar produced from sugarcane.
Maharashtra output up 24%
The data also show that Maharashtra’s sugar output reached at 98.95 lt in October-March period of 2025-26 season, which is 24 per cent higher from 80.1 lt year-ago and Karnataka reported 17 per cent up at 46.75 lt from 39.90 lt.
Only 8 mills are in operation while 202 have closed in Maharashtra, and one mill in operation and 80 have closed in Karnataka.
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Source : The Hindu Business line
