Context:
Uttar Pradesh has become the top state in cane crushing and sugar production in India, overtaking Maharashtra for the first time in the current 2024-25 season.
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- According to data from the cane industry updated till April 15 2025, Maharashtra, which had produced 110.20 lakh metric tons (LMT) of sugar in the 2023-24 season, witnessed a sharp decline in the 2024-25 season, producing only 80.70 LMT—a drop of over 26% due to adverse weather in the 2024-25 season.
- In comparison, UP experienced a relatively smaller decline of 11.7%, with sugar production falling from 103.65 LMT in 2023-24 to 91.50 LMT in 2024-25.
- Karnataka, another major sugar-producing state, also recorded a significant drop, with sugar production falling from 53 LMT in 2023-24 to 42 LMT in the current season, marking a decrease of around 21%.
- At the national level, India’s sugar production dropped from 319 LMT in 2023-24 to 299 LMT in 2024-25, a reduction of approximately 19%.
- This decline has mainly been attributed to adverse weather conditions, including droughts and excessive rainfall, which have severely affected sugarcane yields in key producing states.
- Uttar Pradesh’s ability to maintain its production levels was largely due to the continued operation of its sugar mills.
- Maharashtra had only one sugar mill operational by mid-April, whereas Uttar Pradesh was running 22 sugar mills, accounting for nearly 60% of the 37 mills functioning across the country.
- Tamil Nadu, which runs 10 mills, also recorded a fall in sugar production—from 10.75 LMT in 2023-24 to 7 LMT this year.
- This season, UP crushed over 937 LMT of sugarcane, slightly down from 959 LMT last year, and Maharashtra’s cane crushing reduced from 1,064 LMT in 2023-24 to 848 LMT in 2024-25, while Karnataka also saw a decline, with cane crushing falling from 527 LMT to 475 LMT.
- The decline in sugar output has resulted in a slowdown in sugar exports.
- Indian sugar mills have signed contracts to export 600,000 metric tons of sugar for the 2024-25 marketing year.
- The expected shortfall in production is also likely to impact global sugar prices, considering India’s vital role as a major sugar exporter.