IndianAgri
Kharif & Rabi

Sugarcane

Saccharum officinarum · Poaceae (grasses)

India's largest crop by tonnage and the base of its sugar and ethanol industries — grown on the world's largest cane area.

Production · Sugarcane

453.15 MT

4,531.58 lakh tonnes — 2023–24 Final Estimates

Source: DA&FW Final Estimates 2023–24 (PIB)
2023–24

Key figures

FRP

₹365

per quintal @ 10.25% recovery

CCEA (PIB) · SS 2026–27

Area

5.74 M ha

area under sugarcane

DES — Agricultural Statistics at a Glance 2024 · 2023–24

Yield

78,953 kg/ha

about 320 quintals per acre

DES — Agricultural Statistics at a Glance 2024 · 2023–24

Cost of production

₹182

per quintal (A2+FL)

CACP via CCEA (PIB) · SS 2026–27

World producer

No. 2

after Brazil

FAOSTAT · reference

World area

No. 1

largest cane area

FAOSTAT · reference

Top state

Uttar Pradesh

≈half of output

DES crop estimates · 2023–24

Crop duration

10–18 mo

long-duration crop

DA&FW · reference

Growing season

Kharif & Rabi

spring/autumn planting

DA&FW · reference

About sugarcane

Sugarcane is India's most valuable crop by tonnage and the foundation of a sugar industry that is among the world's largest — plus a fast-growing ethanol sector fed by cane juice and molasses.

It grows in two belts: the subtropical north (Uttar Pradesh, Bihar), which grows the most cane, and the tropical south (Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu), which achieves higher yields and recovery. It is a long-duration crop, occupying the field for 10–18 months.

India has the world's largest area under sugarcane and is the second-largest producer after Brazil, whose higher yields keep it ahead. A rising share of India's cane and sugar is now diverted to ethanol for the national fuel-blending programme.

Where it’s grown

Leading producing states

  1. 1Uttar Pradesh
  2. 2Maharashtra
  3. 3Karnataka
  4. 4Tamil Nadu
  5. 5Bihar

Uttar Pradesh alone grows roughly half of India's sugarcane (about 220 MT in 2024–25); Maharashtra and Karnataka lead the tropical southern belt. DES crop estimates.

Ministry of Agriculture crop estimates (DES) · 2023–24

How it’s grown

Season
Kharif & Rabi (long-duration)
Planting
Feb–Mar (spring) & Oct–Nov (autumn)
Harvest / crushing
November–April
Duration
10–18 months
Water
High; largely irrigated

Major varieties

Co 0238 (Karan-4)

An early-maturing, high-sugar variety that transformed north Indian cane — now being phased out due to red-rot susceptibility.

Co 86032

The long-standing mainstay of the tropical southern belt.

Co 0118

A promoted north-zone variety and a Co 0238 alternative.

Co 15023

A newer, red-rot-resistant replacement for Co 0238.

CoLk 14201

An ICAR-IISR (Lucknow) variety promoted to replace Co 0238.

Co 0238 covered ~87% of Uttar Pradesh's cane by 2020–21 before red rot forced a shift to newer varieties. Notable ICAR-SBI/IISR releases shown here (not an area-ranked list). ICAR-SBI — sugarcane varieties.

Economics & trade

Unlike most crops, sugarcane is priced through a Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP), not an MSP — ₹365 per quintal at a 10.25% recovery rate for the 2026–27 sugar season beginning 1 October 2026, rising or falling ₹3.56 for every 0.1% change in recovery. Mills recovering below 9.5% may not deduct at all, so their growers receive a floor of ₹338.30 per quintal. The FRP is legally payable by mills to farmers.

The widest margin in Indian farm pricing. CACP puts the cost of growing cane at just ₹182 per quintal (A2+FL), so the ₹365 FRP is 100.5% above cost — roughly double, and far beyond the 50% floor that governs MSP crops. India's average cane yield is 78,953 kg per hectare — about 320 quintals an acre — so an average acre grosses roughly ₹1.17 lakh at FRP against some ₹58,000 of cost, leaving close to ₹58,000. That is why cane holds its acreage against every attempt to diversify away from it.

The catch is payment, not price. A legally payable price is only worth what mills actually pay. Of ₹1,12,740 crore of cane dues payable in the 2025–26 season, ₹99,961 crore had been paid as of 20 April 2026 — 88.6%, leaving close to ₹12,800 crore outstanding. The previous season eventually cleared 99.5%, so the gap is largely timing; but for a grower, an FRP received months late is a materially different price from one received at the mill gate.

The crop underpins sugar, gur/jaggery, and a rapidly expanding ethanol industry, with cane juice and molasses increasingly diverted to fuel-grade ethanol under the national blending programme; timely payment of cane dues by mills is a recurring policy concern.

Uses

  • Sugar, plus gur (jaggery) and khandsari — the crop's traditional core.
  • Ethanol for fuel blending, a fast-growing use of cane juice and molasses.
  • Bagasse (fibre residue) for power co-generation and paper.
  • Molasses for distilleries and cattle feed.

Notable facts

  • India has the world's largest area under sugarcane; Brazil produces more because of higher yields.
  • Co 0238 once covered about 87% of Uttar Pradesh's cane area before red rot forced a switch to newer varieties.
  • A rising share of India's cane and sugar is diverted to ethanol for the national fuel-blending programme.
  • Sugarcane is a long-duration crop, staying in the field for 10–18 months.

Frequently asked

Does sugarcane have an MSP?
No — sugarcane is priced through a Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP), set at ₹365 per quintal at 10.25% recovery for the 2026–27 sugar season and legally payable by mills. Growers supplying mills that recover below 9.5% receive a floor of ₹338.30 per quintal.
What is the sugarcane yield per acre in India?
India's average sugarcane yield is 78,953 kg per hectare, or about 320 quintals — roughly 32 tonnes — an acre. Sugarcane is almost entirely irrigated, so the spread between states is narrower than for rainfed crops.
How much profit is there in sugarcane farming per acre?
About ₹58,000 an acre on an average 320 quintals — roughly ₹1.17 lakh gross at the ₹365 FRP against some ₹58,000 of cost. The FRP sits 100.5% above CACP's cost of ₹182 a quintal, the widest margin in Indian farm pricing, though what matters in practice is how promptly the mill pays.
In which season is sugarcane grown?
It is a long-duration crop (10–18 months), planted in spring (Feb–Mar) or autumn (Oct–Nov) and harvested through the November–April crushing season.
Which is the largest sugarcane-producing state?
Uttar Pradesh — it grows roughly half of India's sugarcane, followed by Maharashtra and Karnataka.
How much sugarcane does India produce?
India produced a record 453.15 million tonnes in 2023–24 (Final Estimates) and is the world's second-largest producer after Brazil, with the largest cane area.
Why is sugarcane linked to ethanol?
Cane juice and molasses are increasingly diverted to fuel-grade ethanol under India's ethanol-blending programme, making sugar and energy policy closely linked.

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