India’s sugar season begins on schedule; production reaches 4 lakh tonnes

Nearly 107 sugar mills have begun crushing operations across India’a major sugar producing States - Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat - marking the on-schedule commencement of India’s 2026–27 sugar season, Indian Sugar & Bio-Energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA) said.

As of 25 October 2026, sugar production during the current 2026–27 season had reached approximately 4 lakh tonnes, compared with around 0.6 lakh tonnes on the corresponding date last year, the industry body said.

“India has more than sufficient sugar to meet domestic requirements, and there is no cause for concern regarding availability. The industry remains fully committed to ensuring steady supplies for consumers and timely cane payments to farmers. Domestic sugar requirements during the festive season are expected to be met comfortably, and prices are expected to remain stable. As more mills commence operations, availability will strengthen further, reinforcing the industry’s commitment to ensuring uninterrupted supplies for domestic consumers”, Deepak Ballani, director general, ISMA, said.

In Maharashtra, the country’s largest sugar-producing state, close to 87 mills has commenced operations. More mills are expected to start in the coming week as cane harvesting gathers pace, ISMA said in a statement. In Uttar Pradesh, crushing has begun, with two mills already operational. The full season will roll out in a phased manner in line with the normal schedule. Crushing in Western Uttar Pradesh is expected to begin in the next three to four days, followed by Central Uttar Pradesh shortly thereafter and Eastern Uttar Pradesh as the cane matures in the region. Similarly, 17 mills across Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Gujarat have also commenced crushing operations while crushing activities in other states are progressing in line with their respective seasonal schedules. The timely commencement of operations reflects preparedness by the industry, farmers, the industry body said.

The previous sugar season, 2025–26, ended with approximately 36 lakh tonnes of carryover stocks, providing a base for meeting domestic consumption requirements. The government has also undertaken measures to support domestic supplies, including extending the duty-free raw sugar import window and introducing stockholding limits. These measures, together with available carryover stocks and the commencement of fresh production, are expected to ensure adequate sugar availability for domestic consumption during the festive period.