Uttar Pradesh Achieves Highest Sugar Recovery Growth in Current Season
In a significant development for India's sugar industry, Uttar Pradesh has recorded the highest jump in sugar recovery during the ongoing cane crushing season, surpassing even Maharashtra, the country's leading sugar producer. According to the latest data released by the National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories (NFCSF), this performance highlights a notable shift in production efficiency dynamics between these two key states.
Comparative Recovery Rates Across States
The NFCSF data reveals that Uttar Pradesh's sugar recovery surged impressively from 9.05% in the 2024-25 season to 9.80% in the current season. This represents a substantial increase of approximately 8.28%, marking the highest growth rate among major sugar-producing states.
In contrast, Maharashtra, which traditionally leads in sugar production volume, registered a more modest recovery increase from 8.80% to 9% during the same period. This translates to a growth rate of just 2.27%, significantly lower than Uttar Pradesh's achievement.
Other states showed varied performance: Gujarat witnessed a recovery rise from 9% to 9.5%, while Karnataka experienced a concerning decline from 8.50% to 8.05% according to the NFCSF figures.
Structural Improvements Drive UP's Success
Industry millers emphasize that Uttar Pradesh's remarkable improvement in sugar recovery results from structural enhancements rather than routine seasonal fluctuations. Several key factors have contributed to this positive development:
- Better varietal selection of sugarcane with higher sucrose content
- More disciplined harvesting schedules that optimize cane quality
- Upgradation in milling technologies that improve extraction efficiency
- Tighter control over crushing delays that prevent sucrose deterioration
As one miller explained, "These improvements have played a key role in achieving higher extraction efficiency, directly contributing to the enhanced recovery rates."
Climatic Advantages and Production Impact
Officials from the cane development department noted that relatively stable climatic conditions in Uttar Pradesh during both the growing and crushing phases have favored sucrose accumulation in cane. This stability contrasts sharply with Karnataka, where erratic weather conditions potentially led to deterioration in cane quality and subsequent recovery decline.
The improved sugar recovery has already translated into tangible production gains. Sugar production in Uttar Pradesh increased from 42.85 lakh metric tons (LMT) to 45.70 LMT as of January 15. Projections for the ongoing crushing season suggest total sugar production could reach 105 LMT in 2025-26, representing an increase of nearly 13 LMT compared to the 92.75 LMT produced in 2024-25.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra is estimated to increase production from 80.95 LMT to 110 LMT, maintaining its position as the volume leader despite the slower recovery growth.
Economic Implications and Future Outlook
Perhaps most significantly, Uttar Pradesh's achievement comes despite a reduction in cane crushing from slightly over 473.48 LMT in 2024-25 to 466.33 LMT in the current season. This combination of higher sugar production with lower cane intake substantially improves margins for mills, potentially easing liquidity stress and enabling faster cane payments to farmers.
This development addresses a persistent political and economic issue in the state, where timely cane payments have long been a concern for both agricultural and industrial stakeholders. The enhanced efficiency represents not just a technical achievement but potentially a pathway to greater financial stability for Uttar Pradesh's sugar industry ecosystem.
The contrasting performances between Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, along with the varied results in other states, highlight how targeted improvements in agricultural practices, technological adoption, and operational discipline can significantly impact sugar recovery rates even within the same national market conditions.
