Sugar season 2026-27 begins on schedule, 107 mills start crushing; ISMA expects stable prices

India’s 2026-27 sugar season has commenced on schedule, with 107 sugar mills beginning crushing operations across major producing states, the Indian Sugar & Bio-Energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA) said on Monday. The industry body said domestic sugar availability remains comfortable and prices are expected to remain stable.

Sugar production during the current season had reached approximately 4 lakh tonnes as of October 25, compared with around 60,000 tonnes on the corresponding date last year, according to ISMA. The previous sugar season, 2025-26, ended with approximately 36 lakh tonnes of carryover stocks, supporting domestic availability.

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Maharashtra, India’s largest sugar-producing state, accounts for nearly 87 of the mills that have commenced operations. In Uttar Pradesh, two mills have started crushing, with operations expected to expand in phases over the coming weeks.

Crushing in western Uttar Pradesh is expected to begin in the next three to four days, followed by central Uttar Pradesh and subsequently eastern Uttar Pradesh as sugarcane matures. Another 17 mills across Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Gujarat have started operations.

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Carryover stocks support domestic supplies

ISMA said the combination of carryover stocks, fresh production and government measures is expected to ensure adequate sugar availability during the festive season.

The government has extended the duty-free raw sugar import window and introduced stockholding limits to support domestic supplies. These measures, alongside the commencement of fresh crushing operations, are expected to help maintain market availability.

“The 2026–27 sugar season has commenced on schedule, with nearly 107 mills already undertaking crushing operations across the country,” Deepak Ballani, Director General of ISMA, said.

He said India had more than sufficient sugar to meet domestic requirements and that festive-season demand was expected to be met comfortably. Ballani also said the industry remained committed to ensuring steady supplies for consumers and timely cane payments to farmers.