India's sugar season ends strong, but monsoon delay casts shadow over next year's crop: ISMA DG

ISMA Director General Deepak Ballani said the current sugar season is wrapping up strongly with closing inventory of around 42-43 lakh tonnes by end-September, adequate for domestic needs plus about 8 lakh tonnes of exports, keeping retail prices stable with only a modest rise of Rs 1 to Rs 1.50 per kg expected. However, he flagged significant concern over the next 2024-25 season, citing a 64% rainfall deficit over the past 15-20 days and rising El Nino probability, with Maharashtra and Karnataka — the rain-dependent sugarcane hubs — most vulnerable. ISMA has pushed back its first production estimate from end-July to end-August to factor in actual monsoon progression.