The sugarcane crushing season in India is in its final phase, with production slightly lower than the previous season during the same period.

According to the data from the National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories Limited (NFCSF), as of March 31, 2024, the crushing for the season 2023-24 is ongoing in 209 sugar mills across the country. As of now, 2950.14 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of sugarcane have been crushed to produce 299.45 LMT of sugar.

A total of 535 sugar mills participated in the crushing season, of which 326 have now closed. In the previous season, 534 sugar mills participated, and 350 had closed operations during the same period.

Sugarcane crushing in the current season is slightly lower than the previous season, but sugar recovery is higher. The average sugar recovery in the current season is 10.15 percent, compared to 9.87 percent in the previous season during the same period.

Maharashtra is the leading producer of sugar in the current season, followed by Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka.

According to NFCSF, Indian sugar production is estimated to reach 318 lakh tonnes, compared to 333.90 lakh tons last year.