India's sugar production up 23.43% in Oct-Dec: NFCSF
Sugar output in Uttar Pradesh, the country's largest sugar producing state, increased to 3.56 million tonnes during October-December period of 2025-26 season from 3.26 million tonnes in the year-ago
image for illustrative purpose
New Delhi: India's Sugar production rose 23.43 per cent to 11.83 million tonnes in the first three months of the ongoing 2025-26 season on sharp rise in Maharashtra output, cooperative body NFCSF said on Wednesday.
Sugar production stood at 9.56 million tonnes in the year-ago period, while the total output remained 26.18 million tonnes in the entire 2024-25 season (October-September).
As on December 31, around 499 mills crushed 134 million tonnes of sugarcane, achieving a sugar output of 11.8 million tonnes at an average sugar recovery of 8.83 per cent, National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories Ltd (NFCSF) said in a statement.
Sugar output in Uttar Pradesh, the country's largest sugar producing state, increased to 3.56 million tonnes during October-December period of 2025-26 season from 3.26 million tonnes in the year-ago.
Sugar output in Maharashtra, the country's second largest producer, rose 63 per cent to 4.87 million tonnes from 2.99 million tonnes, while that of Karnataka, the output rose to 2.21 million tonnes from 2.05 million tonnes in the said period.
Sugar output in Gujarat rose to 2,85,000 tonnes, Bihar 1,95,000 tonnes and Uttarakhand at 1,30,000 tonnes in the said period. NFCSF has pegged 31.5 million tonnes sugar output for the 2025-26 season, excluding 3.5 million tonne diversion for ethanol. Meanwhile, National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories president Harshvardhan Patil expressed concern over the growing perception that sugar is harmful to health, warning that it could severely impact the sector.
The sector derives nearly 90 per cent of its revenue from sugar sales, he said at the annual general meeting of Pune's Vasantdada Sugar Institute in the presence of its president and NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar.
Drawing a comparison with statutory health warnings on cigarette packets, Patil said sugar is now being projected as "poison for health" in some regions, a trend that is gradually gaining ground.
"If such a narrative becomes widespread, it will pose a serious challenge for the sugar sector. Nearly 90 per cent of the industry's revenue comes from sugar sales, while only 10 to 15 per cent is generated from by-products. This is a worrying situation," Patil said.
He also claimed consumption of sugar-based beverages is declining globally, citing interactions with multinational companies.
