iGrain India - Sugarcane crushing in sugar mills has significantly decreased during the 2024-25 season compared to the previous season, primarily due to the reduction in the number of operating mills.
In the period from October to December 2024, sugarcane crushing was carried out in 493 mills across India, 25 fewer than the 518 mills in the same period of the previous year.
This reduction in mills led to a decline in the total amount of sugarcane crushed, which fell by about 134.25 lakh tonnes, from 1,229.90 lakh tonnes in 2023 to 1,095.70 lakh tonnes in 2024.
Some states saw an increase in sugarcane crushing, such as Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, and Uttarakhand, where crushing improved.
However, significant declines were observed in major sugar-producing states like Maharashtra (from 426.82 lakh tonnes to 347.67 lakh tonnes), Karnataka (from 263.74 lakh tonnes to 241.76 lakh tonnes), and Gujarat (from 43.33 lakh tonnes to 29.55 lakh tonnes).
Other states like Bihar, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, and Tamil Nadu (NS:TNNP) also reported lower crushing figures in comparison to the previous year.
Consequently, sugar production in the country also dropped, with total production falling from 112.80 lakh tonnes to 95.10 lakh tonnes, marking a decline of 15.7%.