According to the latest pan-State sugarcane crushing report released by the National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories Ltd (NFCSF), the country has crushed 2608.96 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of sugarcane so far, an increase of 221.19 LMT over SS 2024-25.
Sugar production (excluding diversion for ethanol) has also risen to 246.30 LMT, up 26.25 LMT year-on-year, on the back of improved availability of cane in key producing states and higher overall recovery.
Despite a larger number of mills concluding crushing operations earlier this season—primarily due to faster cane harvesting through mechanised operations in Maharashtra and localised cane shortages—the overall higher cane availability in key producing states, particularly Maharashtra and Karnataka, has significantly boosted sugar production.
Maharashtra has crushed cane to the tune of 1007.41 LMT (up from 801.07 LMT), and sugar production is at 95.20 LMT (up from 74.90 LMT)
Although only 80 mills are still crushing compared to 106 last year, the state’s higher cane yield and improved field conditions have driven record output.
Uttar Pradesh (UP), India’s second-largest producer, recorded a marginal decline:
Cane crushed: 737.31 LMT (down from 766.14 LMT)
Sugar production: 74.10 LMT (up slightly from 72.40 LMT)
Recovery: 10.05% (improved from 9.45%)
With 102 mills operating (compared to 107 last year), UP’s strong recovery percentage has cushioned the drop in cane availability, helping the state maintain roughly 30% of national sugar output.
Karnataka posted solid growth:
Cane crushed: 515.20 LMT (up from 450.59 LMT)
Production: 44.05 LMT (up from 38.30 LMT)
Recovery: 8.55%
Higher cane availability in Belagavi, Bagalkot, and Vijayapura regions has pushed the state’s output upward despite fewer mills operating.
Other states together have crushed 349.03 LMTs of sugarcane this season, compared to 369.97 LMTs last year. They have produced 32.95 LMTs of sugar, slightly lower than 34.45 LMTs in the previous season. However, the overall average sugar recovery in India has improved to 9.44%, compared to 9.31% last year.
