Lucknow: This is no sweetener for Uttar Pradesh. The country’s largest sugar-producing state is facing a decline in sugarcane availability for crushing, raising concerns over a potential dip in sugar output in the 2025–26 season.The shortfall, estimated to be between 2–3%, has been attributed to an unusual spike in temperatures in Feb, followed by unseasonal rains in March, along with crop damage caused by rot in the widely cultivated Co-0238 cane variety. The situation has already led to a host of mills shutting down their operations well before time, stoking fears of a dip in sugar production. The latest is Unn sugar mill in Shamli, which closed its operations on the intervening night of March 23 and 24, almost 15 days before its scheduled closure time. Likewise, the Thana Bhawan sugar mill too is expected to shut its operations later this week, reports said. The mill has already issued a notice on March 20 vis-a-vis lesser availability of cane for crushing. Both the mills received almost 25 lakh quintals less cane this season, prompting the mill operators to close down their operations before time, sources said. Likewise, the Oswal mill in Nawabganj, Bahari sugar mills, Dhampur mill, Kisan Sahkari mill and Dwarikesh mills too raised concern over scarcity of cane for crushing. The poor quality of cane has further aggravated the situation, leading to a decline in sugar recovery rates and making operations unviable for a host of mills. Sugar recovery refers to the percentage of sugar extracted from sugarcane during the crushing process. A lower recovery rate means that less sugar is being produced from the same quantity of sugarcane, which directly impacts overall production and profitability for millers. An official in the UP Sugar Mills Association said that the actual situation is expected to appear in another 10 to 15 days when the cane crushing ends for the 2025–26 season. “The cane shortage is certainly there. The extent of its impact is being assessed,” the official said. The drop in arrival of cane at the mills was further accentuated even as farmers diverted part of their produce to Khandsari units, which often offer immediate cash payments at higher prices compared to mills. Past records show that despite a general decline in national output due to adverse weather, UP maintained a dominant position in 2024–25. UP recorded sugar production of over 92 lakh tonnes, which was almost around 35% of the national output of over 261 lakh tonnes reported last year.
