India sees a 43% surge in sugar output for Oct–Nov of the 2025–26 season, bringing the total close to 4.1 million metric tons by the end of November. The industry attributes this impressive growth to better recovery rates and also to the faster cane-crushing that has been going on in the top sugar-producing states.

Strong Gains in Key States

The state of Maharashtra, in the west of India, where the majority of sugar is produced, witnessed its sugar production shooting more than three times year-on-year, growing to approximately 1.7 million tons from close to 460,000 tons last season. Uttar Pradesh, a state in the north of the country, saw its sugar output increase by approximately 9%, to reach 1.4 million tons by November.

On the other hand, output in Karnataka was slightly reduced to close to 774,000 tons from 812,000 tons a year ago – the drop has been attributed to farmer protests that led to the suspension of crushing operations.

The overall sugar recovery rate, which is an important measure of how much sugar is extracted from cane, has gone up from 8.29% last year to 8.51%.

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Surplus Builds, and Industry Seeks Support

With production at a record level, experts expect a sizable surplus, which, in turn, opens up the room for export possibilities. The Indian Sugar & Bio-Energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA) has written a letter to the government asking for permission to export an extra 1 million metric tons in addition to the 1.5 million already allowed.

Meanwhile, the mills want the minimum selling price (MSP) of sugar to be raised. However, MSP has remained more or less unchanged for more than 6 years, even as production costs have risen, mainly in cane procurement costs. According to Mills, the increase in costs will reduce their profits and make it difficult for them to pay farmers on time if the price floor is not revised.

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What This Means for the Season Ahead

The increase in sugar production is a sign of a good start for the 2025-26 season. The industry watchers think that, if recovery rates stay at a high level and the pace of crushing does not slacken, the total sugar production can reach as much as 30.95 million tons, which is significantly higher than the output of last year.

Nevertheless, there are still some obstacles in the way of success. One of them is the low global sugar price that makes it difficult to export surplus, even if there is a large volume of sugar available.

India sees a 43% surge in sugar output for Oct–Nov— the emphatic rise highlights factors such as better cane yields, more efficient crushing, and improved recovery rates. Although the country might be in a position to have surplus sugar for a while, industry players are warning that favourable policies and supportive pricing will be vital to not only maintaining the surplus but also extending the rest of the ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌season.

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