COMMODITY
Centre decides to allow export of 1.5 MT of sugar for 2025-26 sugar season
Nov-10-2025

In a move to protect the interest of sugarcane farmers in the country, the Food Minister Pralhad Joshi said that the Centre has decided to allow export of 1.5 million tonne (MT) of sugar for the 2025-26 sugar season that started from October. Sugar season runs from October to September. The Ministry has also decided to remove 50 per cent export duty on molasses. The export allocation is lower than the 2 MT demanded by the industry. India exported about 8,00,000 tonnes of sugar against an allocation of 1 MT during the 2024-25 sugar season that ended in September.

Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra has said recently the government was considering allowing sugar exports due to accumulation of surplus stocks as diversion of the sweetener for ethanol production fell short of expectations. He added sugar mills diverted only 3.4 MT of sugar for ethanol manufacturing in 2024-25, well below the projected 4.5 MT, resulting in high opening stocks for the current season. He also said sugar production for 2025-26 is expected to reach 34 MT against annual domestic demand of 28.5 MT.

Recently, Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) had said that India's sugar production is estimated to rise 16 per cent to 34.35 MT in the current 2025-26 marketing year that started in September, mainly on higher output in Maharashtra. The gross sugar production stood at 29.61 MT in the 2024-25 marketing year (October-September). Sugar production in Maharashtra expected to rise to 130 lakh tonnes from 93.51 lakh tonnes in 2024-25, on account of increased area and productivity.

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