UP tops in sugar recovery rate among major sugar producing states in country

Pilibhit: Uttar Pradesh has emerged as the frontrunner among three major sugar producing states in the country in sugar recovery during the ongoing 2025-26 sugarcane season, surpassing Maharashtra and Karnataka in both efficiency and per-mill performance.A latest report shared with TOI by managing director of National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories Limited (NFCSF), Prakash Naiknavare, reveals that as of Wednesday, UP achieved an overall sugar recovery rate of 10.2%, outpacing Maharashtra at 9.5% and Karnataka at 8.6%.UP projected a superior performance in comparison to the national average sugar recovery percentage of 9.55%. The state also outshined Maharashtra and Karnataka in terms of average cane crushing volume as well as sugar production based on the individual performance of mills.UP, with 121 mills, crushed 874.51 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of sugarcane and produced 89.20 LMT sugar. Maharashtra, despite leading in total cane crushed (1044.21 LMT) and sugar produced (99.2 LMT) across its 210 mills, lagged in per-mill averages. Each mill in Maharashtra crushed 4.97 LMT of cane and produced 0.47 LMT of sugar.Karnataka, operating 81 mills, crushed 548.26 LMT of cane and produced 47.15 LMT of sugar. While its overall output was lower, Karnataka outperformed Maharashtra in per-mill efficiency, averaging 6.76 LMT cane crushed and 0.58 LMT sugar produced per mill.On a per-mill basis, UP led decisively, with each mill crushing 7.22 LMT of cane and producing 0.74 LMT of sugar – a benchmark that highlights the state’s operational strength.