India’s Sugarcane Story: Rising Output, Stronger Prices and a Changing Regional Map
18 December 2025, New Delhi: India’s sugarcane sector has continued to show resilience over the past five years, marked by a steady rise in production, supportive pricing policies and timely government interventions that have helped ensure regular payments to farmers. Official data placed before Parliament this week highlights how sugarcane has remained one of the country’s most economically significant crops, even as regional patterns of cultivation and output evolve.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, sugarcane production in India increased from about 405 million tonnes in 2020–21 to nearly 455 million tonnes in 2024–25, registering an overall growth of more than 49 million tonnes during the period. The only interruption to this upward trend came in 2023–24, when production dipped slightly due to regional and climatic factors. The outlook, however, remains optimistic, with the first advance estimates for 2025–26 projecting production at around 476 million tonnes.
Behind these numbers lies not just higher output, but also a policy framework that has increasingly focused on farmer incomes. Government officials have underlined that payments to sugarcane growers are influenced not only by production volumes but also by pricing mechanisms such as the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) and, in some states, the State Advised Price (SAP). Over the past five years, the FRP has seen a consistent upward revision—from ₹285 per quintal in 2020–21 to ₹340 per quintal in 2024–25, and further to ₹355 per quintal for the 2025–26 season. This steady rise in the assured price of cane, coupled with policy decisions on ethanol blending and sugar exports, has strengthened the cash flow of sugar mills and enabled more timely payments to farmers.
Regionally, the data reflects both continuity and change. Uttar Pradesh has retained its position as the country’s largest sugarcane producer, contributing over 220 million tonnes in 2024–25. Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu continue to be major contributors, together accounting for a substantial share of national output. At the same time, some states have witnessed fluctuations. Maharashtra, for instance, saw a decline in production in 2023–24 and 2024–25 after peaking earlier, while Karnataka rebounded strongly in 2024–25 following a dip the previous year. States such as Odisha and Uttarakhand have shown notable increases in recent years, reflecting shifts in area and productivity.
Changes in cultivated area tell a parallel story. The total area under sugarcane expanded from about 4.85 million hectares in 2020–21 to a peak of nearly 5.89 million hectares in 2022–23, before moderating to around 5.45 million hectares in 2024–25. Uttar Pradesh remains the largest sugarcane-growing state by area, followed by Maharashtra and Karnataka. Some traditional regions, including parts of Andhra Pradesh and Haryana, have seen a contraction in acreage, while states like Odisha and Uttarakhand have expanded cultivation in recent seasons.
Taken together, the figures point to a sector that is adapting rather than stagnating. While production growth has not been uniform across all states or all years, the combination of rising FRP, diversification through ethanol production and active market interventions has provided a degree of stability to farmers’ incomes. As climate variability and water availability continue to shape cropping decisions, the regional redistribution of sugarcane area and output may become more pronounced in the coming years.
This detailed snapshot of sugarcane cultivation and pricing was shared by the Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Ramnath Thakur, in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, offering a comprehensive view of how one of India’s most important commercial crops is performing—and where it may be headed next.
State-wise Sugarcane Production, Area and Yield in India (2024–25)
| State / UT | Production (Thousand Tonnes) | Area (Thousand Hectares) | Yield (Tonnes / Hectare) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andaman & Nicobar Islands | 0.42 | 0.07 | 60.0 |
| Andhra Pradesh | 1,985.32 | 22.00 | 90.2 |
| Arunachal Pradesh | 46.86 | 2.17 | 21.6 |
| Assam | 1,237.52 | 29.23 | 42.3 |
| Bihar | 12,149.50 | 192.57 | 63.1 |
| Chhattisgarh | 1,866.38 | 33.37 | 55.9 |
| Goa | 21.51 | 0.40 | 53.8 |
| Gujarat | 13,714.33 | 188.77 | 72.6 |
| Haryana | 5,830.21 | 71.64 | 81.4 |
| Himachal Pradesh | 20.55 | 1.33 | 15.5 |
| Jammu & Kashmir | 0.27 | 0.23 | 11.7 |
| Jharkhand | 33.88 | 0.45 | 75.3 |
| Karnataka | 48,060.00 | 540.00 | 89.0 |
| Kerala | 21.11 | 0.25 | 84.4 |
| Madhya Pradesh | 6,108.63 | 107.00 | 57.1 |
| Maharashtra | 109,970.18 | 1,167.04 | 94.2 |
| Manipur | 290.19 | 5.96 | 48.7 |
| Meghalaya | 0.36 | 0.12 | 30.0 |
| Mizoram | 21.31 | 0.79 | 27.0 |
| Nagaland | 87.08 | 2.01 | 43.3 |
| Odisha | 680.74 | 13.26 | 51.4 |
| Puducherry | 92.25 | 0.75 | 123.0 |
| Punjab | 7,279.48 | 88.72 | 82.0 |
| Rajasthan | 465.47 | 5.82 | 79.9 |
| Tamil Nadu | 13,350.78 | 130.89 | 102.0 |
| Telangana | 1,916.19 | 20.59 | 93.0 |
| Tripura | 29.72 | 0.53 | 56.1 |
| Uttar Pradesh | 220,801.27 | 2,720.40 | 81.2 |
| Uttarakhand | 7,650.21 | 90.37 | 84.7 |
| West Bengal | 879.26 | 13.21 | 66.6 |
| All India | 454,610.97 | 5,449.93 | 83.4 |
Also Read: Indian Sugar Production Jumps 28%, but Falling Prices Raise Alarm for Mills and Farmers
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