India's sugar exports reach 2.01 lakh tonnes: AISTA

New Delhi: India has exported 2,01,547 tonnes of sugar through February in the current 2025-26 marketing year, with the United Arab Emirates the top destination, the All India Sugar Trade Association (AISTA) said on Monday.

Sugar exports remain under government control through quotas distributed proportionally among mills.

The central government has approved total exports of 2 million tonnes for the 2025-26 marketing year (October-September), including an additional 500,000 tonnes permitted recently. White sugar accounted for 163,000 tonnes of total shipments, with refined sugar making up 37,638 tonnes, AISTA said in a statement. The UAE received the largest volume at 47,006 tonnes, followed by Afghanistan with 46,163 tonnes, Djibouti with 30,147 tonnes, and Bhutan with 20,017 tonnes. India's sugar production is estimated to rise 13 per cent to 29.6 million tonnes in the 2025-26 marketing year ending September, excluding diversion for ethanol, AISTA said in its first estimate for the marketing year.

The trade body welcomed the government's decision to allow the additional 500,000 tonnes of exports on a pro-rata basis to willing mills. Unlike the initial 1.5 million tonne quota, which could be exchanged between mills, the new allocation cannot be swapped, AISTA said.

"This two-tier system will facilitate some export of sugar. Now the genuine exporting mills need not pay any premium to mills sitting idle on tradable quota," AISTA Chairman Praful Vithalani said.