Sugar production expected to be 324 lakh tonnes

The Indian Sugar and Bio-energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA) has estimated sugar production during the current marketing season (October 2025 to September 2026) to be 324 lakh tonnes as against 296.25 lakh tonnes during the last marketing season.

According to the association, 31 lakh tonnes will be diverted for ethanol, which will be almost four lakh tonnes less than that in the 2024-2025 sugar season, and the net sugar production this year will be 293 lakh tonnes that will be close to 30 lakh tonnes more than last year.

Sugarcane yield in Uttar Pradesh is lower than earlier projections because of the ongoing varietal replacement programme. But, sugar recovery is reported to be higher than last season. In Maharashtra and Karnataka, yields per unit area are lower than initially expected, because of early onset of flowering in sugarcane.