Kolhapur: Sugar production in Maharashtra for the ongoing 2025–26 crushing season is projected to reach 108 lakh tonnes, according to the Maharashtra Sugar Commissionerate.
The projections were made during a meeting organized by the state sugar commissionerate on Tuesday, which was attended by officials from MITCON, the Agriculture Department, WISMA, and the Sugar Federation.
Speaking to Chinimandi, Sanjay Kolte, State Sugar Commissioner, said, “Sugar mills in Maharashtra are expected to produce 108 lakh tonnes of sugar this season. The crushing season is likely to continue until mid-March, with mills in Marathwada continuing operations. Sugar mills in Western Maharashtra are likely to close by the end of February.”
He added that sugar mills are expected to crush 1,180 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of sugarcane this season.
According to information released by the Sugar Commissionerate, as of February 10, 199 sugar mills participated in crushing operations, all of which are currently operational. These mills have produced 85.607 lakh tonnes of sugar after crushing 918 LMT of sugarcane, with the state’s average recovery rate standing at 9.33%. By the same date in the previous season, 199 mills had produced 65.445 lakh tonnes of sugar after crushing 712.2 LMT of cane, with an average recovery rate of 9.1%.
In comparison, total sugar production during the previous season was 81.04 lakh tonnes. Mills have already surpassed last season’s output.
Among the 199 operational mills, 98 are part of the cooperative sector, while 101 are privately owned. The Kolhapur division continues to lead in both sugar output and recovery rates.
