Sugar production in Maharashtra is predicted to drop by 7% this year

Mumbai: Maharashtra, which accounts for more than a third of India’s sugar output, is expected to see a drop of 7% in sugar production in the 2024-25 crop year owing to rain deficit last monsoon which has led to lower cane yields.
Experts say the production is expected to drop to 102 lakh metric tons in 2024-25 from 110 lakh tons the previous year 2023-24. This could lead to higher food inflation and discourage sugar exports from India.
The Ministry of Cooperation presented the estimated production between November 2024 and March 2025 before deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar on Monday.
The 2024-25 crushing season in Maharashtra is delayed and is expected to start after November 15 due to lower sugarcane availability and the state assembly elections.
The department is expecting 1,004 lakh metric tons of sugarcane cultivated in 11.67 lakh hectares, to be available for the crushing to begin on November 15.
In 2023-24; 208 sugar factories crushed 1,076 lakh tons and produced 110.2 lakh tons, which was highest in the country, followed by Uttar Pradesh which produced 103.65 lakh tons.
“In many districts of Marathwada, including Latur, Osamanabad, and Beed the rainfall was below its annual average. This has resulted in a reduction in the area under cultivation to 11.67 lakh hectares from 14.37 lakh hectares. The stress on the crop due to the heavy dry spells also resulted in a drop in the production and productivity of the sugarcane. This results in a drop-in recovery rate (production of sugar per ton crushed cane) below 10. The department has estimated the recovery to drop to 9.95%. This would result in a reduction in the production,” said an official from the cooperation department.
In 2023-24, 208 sugar mills, from the cooperative and private sectors crushed 1076 lakh tons of sugarcane and produced 110.2 lakh tons of sugar. For the first time in the history of the state, the number of private sugar mills surpassed the number of cooperative mills in the ratio of 105:103.
Maharashtra had reported the highest-ever production of 128 lakh tonnes in 2022-23 and 105 lakh tonnes in 2022-23.
Vithal Pawar of Shetkari, national president of Sharad Joshi Vichar Manch Shetkari Sanghatana said that these are the preliminary estimates and actual production will be equal to the previous year. “The estimates given by the cooperation department are to misguide the farmers and exploit them by showing less crushing and recovery from the cane. Even last year, the estimated figures were 95 lakh tons, but actual production was over 110 lakh tons,” he added.