ARTICLE 2 #Production

India, the world’s second biggest sugar producer, expects surplus sugar stocks in the 2025‑26 season (starting October 1) after meeting domestic consumption and ethanol production needs, which will allow it to export sugar. Ashwini Srivastava, joint secretary at the Department of Food and Public Distribution, told a global conference that after catering to internal demand, there will be enough sugar for exports.

India’s government warehouses are overflowing. As of September 1, 2025, rice reserves—including unfilled paddy—have climbed to a record 48.2 million metric tons, a jump of over 14% compared to the same time last year. Wheat stocks, too, are at a four‑year high, reaching 33.3 million metric tons. These figures greatly overshoot government targets: for rice, the July 1 target is only 13.5 million tons, while for wheat the target is about 27.6 million tons.

As gross sugar (in terms of sucrose) production in the next season, starting October, is likely to be 36 million tonnes (mt), the government can comfortably allow 1 mt for export.