Sugar production expected to decline: ISMA

The Indian Sugar and Bio Energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA) has estimated sugar production for the 2024-2025 sugar season (October 2024 to September 2025) to be almost 9% lower than that of the previous season.

A press release from the ISMA said gross production was expected to be 310.2 lakh tonne against 341.1 lakh tonne in the 2023-2024 season. About 37.5 lakh tonne would be diverted for ethanol. The net production would be 272.69 lakh tonne and 10 lakh tonne would be exported.

Close to 165 lakh tonne of sugar was produced between October 1, 2024 and January 31, 2025 by 500 factories compared with 187.15 lakh tonne produced last sugar season during the corresponding dates by 520 factories.

As per the data available with the government, domestic sugar consumption in the first three months of the 2024-25 sugar season (October to December, 2024) was around 65 lakh tonne which was almost five lakh tonne lower that the cumulative sales quota of 69.5 lakh tonne for the corresponding period.

The ISMA said that sugarcane yield and sugar recovery in Uttar Pradesh was lower than last year mainly because of widespread red rot infestation and varietal replacement resulting in lower estimated sugar production in the State. Similarly, Maharashtra and Karnataka had lower cane yields per unit area.