Sugar season 2026-27 starts early: 107 mills crushing, output at 4 lakh tonnes

India's 2026-27 sugar season has started on schedule, with about 107 sugar mills crushing sugarcane and production of roughly 4 lakh tonnes by 25 October 2026, the Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) said on Monday, 26 October. That is far ahead of the same date last year, when output was only about 0.6 lakh tonnes. The industry body said the country also carried over about 36 lakh tonnes of sugar from the 2025-26 season, and that supplies are comfortable enough to keep prices stable.

Sugar is a big part of India's rural economy: sugarcane is a major cash crop, and mills are among the largest employers in many districts of Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka. An early start to crushing matters to farmers because cane loses sugar content and weight if it stands too long in the field after it is ready, and an early start means earlier payments.

Maharashtra's dominance in the early count is normal. Its mills usually begin crushing in October, while most mills in Uttar Pradesh, the other major producer, start later in the autumn. The fact that roughly 107 mills are already running, against only a handful at this time last year, suggests that cane was ready on time and that weather did not delay operations.

For consumers, the message from the industry is about prices. The festive season, with Diwali on 8 November, is when demand for sugar and sweets is highest. A carryover stock of about 36 lakh tonnes plus fresh production gives the market a cushion. The government has also taken steps this month to keep supply flowing, including letting mills sell extra October sugar before Diwali.

The season's start comes with tensions in some areas. Cane growers in Kolhapur and north Karnataka have been protesting for higher payments, and the price mills pay for cane will be a key issue as more mills start crushing in November.

Short-term: More sugar will reach the market during the festival weeks, which ISMA says should keep retail prices steady. Farmers in Maharashtra are getting their cane harvested and sent to mills earlier.

Long-term: The final size of the 2026-27 crop, and how much sugar is diverted to ethanol, will decide whether India has room to export sugar later in the season. ISMA's first estimate of total production is expected in the coming weeks.

Who is affected: Sugarcane farmers and their families, mill workers, sugar companies, sweet makers and food businesses, households buying sugar during the festive season, and ethanol producers who use cane.

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