Sugar Export Approval Under Consideration Amid Surplus Stocks, Says Food Secretary
Sugar Export: Decreased ethanol production in India has led to increased sugar stocks. The government may approve sugar exports in the 2025-26 marketing year. Union Food Secretary Sanjay Chopra stated that initial stocks are sufficient and a decision could be made soon.
The government may approve sugar exports in the 2025-26 marketing year. Reduced sugar usage for ethanol production has led to excess stocks. Union Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra stated that sugar mills used 3.4 million tons of sugar for ethanol production in 2024-25, down from the estimated 4.5 million tons.
Chopra stated that opening stocks are high for the 2025-26 marketing year, which runs from October to September. Sugar production is expected to reach 34 million tons by 2025-26, while annual domestic demand is forecasted to be 28.5 million tons. We certainly have a large stock of sugar. A decision may be taken soon, as the government would like to give the industry more time to plan for exports.
A committee of ministers may meet next week to decide on this. During the 2024-25 marketing year, approximately 8 lakh tonnes of sugar were exported from the country, against an allocation of 10 lakh tonnes. Currently, international prices are not very favorable for refined sugar.
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The global price of refined sugar is Rs 3,829 per quintal. The average ex-mill price is Rs 3,885 per quintal. The sugar industry had offered to supply 4.71 billion litres of ethanol from molasses in the 2024-25 ethanol supply year ending in October, but only 2.89 billion litres were supplied. Chopra said, "Restrictions on ethanol production from molasses have been lifted."
