The government's efforts to encourage sugar mills to begin crushing earlier than usual, with the objective of improving domestic sugar availability, have yielded partial results. However, the pace of operations has varied across states, with Maharashtra accounting for the bulk of the early-season crushing.
By 31 October last year, only 31 sugar mills had started operations across the country. They had crushed 11.84 lakh tonnes of sugarcane and produced just 1 lakh tonne of sugar. The sharp increase is largely attributable to Maharashtra, where mills started crushing much earlier than they did last year. However, protests by sugarcane farmers in Maharashtra and Karnataka also affected the initial pace of operations. Farmer organisations opposed early crushing and demanded better sugarcane prices and compensation for their losses. In Uttar Pradesh, rainfall during October disrupted the crushing schedule at several mills.
Maharashtra Leads With 123 Mills
Maharashtra accounts for the largest share of crushing activity, with 123 mills operational by 31 October. These mills crushed 91.14 lakh tonnes of sugarcane and produced 7.20 lakh tonnes of sugar. The state's average sugar recovery stood at 7.90%, which is significantly lower than normal recovery.
The state-wise figures show that Karnataka ranked second in cane crushing, with seven mills crushing 8.33 lakh tonnes of sugarcane and producing 80,000 tonnes of sugar. Karnataka recorded the highest average recovery of 9.60%.
Tamil Nadu also had seven mills in operation. They crushed 4.71 lakh tonnes of cane and produced 40,000 tonnes of sugar, with an average recovery of 8.50%. In Gujarat, 10 mills had started crushing, processing 1.25 lakh tonnes of sugarcane and producing 5,000 tonnes of sugar.
State-wise Sugarcane Crushing and Production
|
State |
Mills crushing |
Cane crushed (lakh tonnes) |
Sugar produced (lakh tonnes) |
Recovery |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Maharashtra |
123 |
91.14 |
7.20 |
7.90% |
|
Karnataka |
7 |
8.33 |
0.80 |
9.60% |
|
Tamil Nadu |
7 |
4.71 |
0.40 |
8.50% |
|
Gujarat |
10 |
1.25 |
0.05 |
4.00% |
|
Uttar Pradesh |
3 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00% |
|
Telangana |
2 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00% |
|
All India |
152 |
105.43 |
8.45 |
8.01% |
Source: NFCSF, State-wise Crushing Report as on 31 October 2026.
Rain Delays Crushing in Uttar Pradesh
Unseasonal rainfall delayed the start of crushing at several sugar mills in Uttar Pradesh. Only three mills had started operations by 31 October, compared with 10 mills during the corresponding period last year. The state's mills had crushed 2.50 lakh tonnes of sugarcane by that date in the previous season.
Some sugar mills in Uttar Pradesh began their crushing operations from 1 November, and more are expected to start during the first week of November. The delay in the western part of the state was particularly linked to heavy rainfall, which disrupted cane harvesting, supply and preparations at mills.
Sugar Recovery Falls to 8.01%
The average sugar recovery across the country stood at 8.01% as of 31 October, compared with 8.44% during the corresponding period last season, representing a decline of 0.43 percentage points. Maharashtra's recovery was 7.90%, while Karnataka recorded 9.60%, the highest among the major sugar-producing states reporting crushing activity.
For the 2026-27 sugar season, the Centre has fixed the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) of sugarcane at Rs. 365 per quintal, based on a basic recovery rate of 10.25%. Farmers will receive a premium of Rs. 3.56 per quintal for every 0.1 percentage point increase in recovery above 10.25%. The FRP will be reduced by the same amount for every 0.1 percentage point decline in recovery. However, there will be no deduction for sugar mills recording recovery below 9.5%. Farmers supplying cane to such mills will receive a minimum FRP of Rs. 338.30 per quintal.
Sugar Production and Prices in Focus
The new crushing season has begun amid concerns over domestic sugar availability and rising prices. The government has introduced stockholding restrictions on sugar dealers and bulk consumers to curb hoarding and improve market supplies.
The government has also permitted duty-free imports of 10 lakh tonnes of raw sugar under the Tariff Rate Quota (TRQ) mechanism to augment domestic supplies. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) extended the deadline for these imports from 31 October to 31 December 2026.
With more mills expected to commence operations in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka, cane crushing and sugar production are likely to gather further momentum in the coming weeks. The pace of crushing, availability of sugarcane, weather conditions and recovery levels will be crucial in determining India's sugar production and domestic supply position during the 2026-27 season.