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Informist, Tuesday, Apr. 21, 2026

 

Afra Abubacker

 

NEW DELHI – Ex-mill prices of sugar remained steady on Tuesday in key markets of Maharashtra amid a lack of fresh cues. Prices are likely to remain largely rangebound for the week in the state, with demand broadly meeting supply, Mukesh Kuvadia, secretary of the Bombay Sugar Merchants Association, said. 

 

The market is waiting for the government to announce the sugar sales quota for May. Typically, the sugar market sees the highest sales in May due to rising temperatures and peak summer. The government is likely to announce the sugar sales limit for May by the last week of April. 

The government fixes the maximum quantity of sugar available for sale every month to support prices and help mills clear the arrears of sugarcane farmers. It also sets the monthly sales quota for each state and sugar mills.

 

Meanwhile, sugar crushing in Maharashtra has come to an end at nearly 9.9 million tonnes as of mid-April, up 22% on year, according to the Indian Sugar & Bio-energy Manufacturers Association. "All the factories in Maharashtra and Karnataka have closed their operations for the main season," it added. According to a sugar industry official, mills in Uttar Pradesh will also soon end their operations by next week. 

 

For the entire 2025-26 season ending in September, ISMA estimates sugar production at 28.5 million tonnes, up from 26.1 million tonnes last year. As of mid-April, mills have produced 27.5 million tonnes, up 8% on year, according to ISMA.

 

As of March-end, mills have diverted about 2.2 million tonnes of sucrose or sugar equivalent for producing ethanol, an industry official said. ISMA has estimated a diversion of 3.4 million tonnes for biofuel production in the 2025-26 season. 

 

The following are the highlights of sugar prices in the domestic market:

--Flat at INR 3,970-INR 4,053 per 100 kg in Mumbai

--Flat at INR 3,760-INR 3,820 per 100 kg in Kolhapur

 

At 1854 IST, sugar prices on the Intercontinental Exchange were up 1.3% to 13.81 cents per pound, tracking gains in crude oil prices on the NYMEX. Higher crude oil prices encourage more diversion of sucrose for ethanol production, reducing the availability of sugar. End

 

US$1 = INR 93.50

IST, or Indian Standard Time, is five-and-a-half hours ahead of GMT

 

Edited by Saji George Titus

 

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