COMMODITY
India's sugar production rises 22% till January 15 in 2025-26 season: ISMA
Jan-21-2026

Indian Sugar & Bio-energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA) in its report said that India's sugar production rose 22 per cent to 15.9 million tonnes by January 15 in the 2025-26 season as compared to 13 million tonnes in the same period last year, supported by higher cane supplies and better yields. Around 518 mills were operational as of January 15, compared with 500 a year ago. The sugar season runs from October to September.

Production in top producing state Maharashtra rose 51 per cent to 6.45 million tonnes from 4.27 million tonnes a year ago, while output in Uttar Pradesh increased to 4.6 million tonnes from 4.28 million tonnes. Karnataka's output rose to 3.1 million tonnes from 2.75 million tonnes in the year-ago period.

ISMA said that India's sugar sector has made steady progress so far in the 2025-26 season, supported by adequate sugarcane availability, improved field-level productivity, and smoother operations across major producing regions. However, it warned that rising cane prices and falling sugar realisations were squeezing mill finances and delaying cane payments to farmers. 

It noted that ex-mill sugar prices in Maharashtra and Karnataka have declined to around Rs 3,550 per quintal, significantly below production costs. Further, It called for an early revision of the minimum selling price (MSP) for sugar to restore financial viability and ensure timely payments to farmers.

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