Sugar production during the current season has reached 12.85 lakh tonnes, against 3.20 lakh tonnes produced by the corresponding date last year. The higher production reflects the early commencement of crushing operations, particularly in Maharashtra, and the progressive start of operations in other major sugar-producing states.
Maharashtra has witnessed substantial progress, with 136 sugar mills having commenced operations and producing 10.78 lakh tonnes of sugar as on 5 November 2026, compared to 101 mills and 1.23 lakh tonnes during the corresponding period last year.
In Uttar Pradesh, 19 mills have commenced crushing operations in western and central regions, producing 0.20 lakh tonnes of sugar. Most of the remaining factories in Western Uttar Pradesh are expected to commence operations over the next couple of days, while remaining factories in Central Uttar Pradesh are likely to start immediately after the Diwali festival.
In Karnataka, seven factories, which continued their operations from the special season, have produced 0.90 lakh tonnes of sugar. Following the resolution of farmer-related issues, factories in the state are set to commence their main-season operations shortly.
In Tamil Nadu, seven factories continuing from the special season have produced 0.64 lakh tonnes of sugar. In Gujarat, 12 mills have commenced operations, while three mills in Telangana have also started crushing.
With the commencement of operations in the remaining factories across these states, particularly Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka, the number of operational mills and the pace of sugar production are expected to increase further in the coming days.Deepak Ballani, Director General, ISMA, said: “The current sugar season has started on a positive note, with 184 mills having commenced operations and sugar production reaching 12.85 lakh tonnes as on 5th November 2026, compared to 3.20 lakh tonnes during the corresponding period last year. With approximately 36 lakh tonnes of carryover stocks from the previous season and fresh production gathering momentum, the country is in a comfortable position to meet its domestic sugar requirements.”
“Crushing operations are expected to expand further with most factories in Western Uttar Pradesh commencing operations over the next couple of days, followed by Central Uttar Pradesh after Diwali. In Karnataka, factories are also set to commence their main-season operations following the resolution of farmer-related issues. With the progressive commencement of crushing across these states, sugar production will increase substantially in the coming weeks. ISMA reiterates that there is sufficient sugar availability in the country to meet domestic consumption requirements, and the industry remains committed to maintaining adequate supplies in the domestic market,” added Ballani.