UPSMA dismisses sugar shortage rumours; Pilibhit DM assures steady supply
UPSMA said UP, the country’s largest sugar-producing state, has 121 operational sugar mills, including 95 privately owned units. Sharing production figures with TOI, Guptara said UP produced 92.4 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of sugar in 2024-25, while production stood at 89.5 LMT during the 2025-26 crushing year. He further said the all-India share of sugar diverted for ethanol production — including sugarcane juice, sugar syrup, B-heavy molasses and C-heavy molasses — declined to 27.5% in 2025-26 from 30.6% in 2024-25. “Stockists have been directed to maintain a sugar stock register and limit their maximum stock to 4,000 quintals. No stockist will store sugar for more than 30 days,” Singh said, adding that stringent legal action would be taken against defaulters.
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UPSMA secretary general Deepak Guptara said there was “no physical deficit of sugar in the country” and urged consumers not to panic over rumours of scarcity. He said sugar mills across the state were maintaining comfortable stock levels and supply chains were functioning normally. A senior official in the Yogi Adityanath-led UP govt said authorities were closely monitoring the situation and warned that action would be taken against hoarding, profiteering, and attempts to manipulate the market. The association said the industry plays a key role in maintaining the domestic supply of sugar. Guptara said the linkage between ethanol production and sugar shortage was “factually incorrect”, adding that ethanol blending was aimed at reducing dependence on fossil fuels and supporting farmers without compromising domestic sugar supplies. He said the decline was not significant enough to cause a sudden disruption in the market.
The association attributed recent fluctuations in retail prices to market speculation rather than any actual shortage. It also urged consumers and media outlets to rely on official information and avoid spreading alarmist reports. It also rejected concerns that ethanol production was affecting the availability of sugar for household consumption. Meanwhile, Pilibhit DM Gyanendra Singh issued a regulatory advisory to sugar stockists in the district, asking them to maintain adequate stocks while ensuring that consumers did not panic over reports of scarcity. Download the TOI App.
Pilibhit : Uttar Pradesh Sugar Mills Association (UPSMA) on Monday dismissed reports of a sugar shortage in the state, saying mills have adequate stocks to meet both regular and festival-season demand.