Punjab sugar mills produce 1.36m metric tons of sugar in 45 days

ISLAMABAD, Jan 03 (APP): Punjab’s sugar mills have produced 1.36 million metric tons of sugar during the first 45 days of the ongoing crushing season, with all 41 operational sugar mills in the province crushing a total of 15.06 million metric tons of sugarcane as of Dec 31, 2025.
According to data obtained by Wealth Pakistan from the office of the Punjab Cane Commissioner, the average sugar recovery rate during the initial 45 days of crushing improved to 9.43 percent, up from 9.01 percent recorded during the same period last year. The improvement is attributed to better-quality cane and enhanced mill efficiency.
Total sugar availability in the province, including carryover stocks, currently stands at 1.47 million metric tons. Of this, 625,341 metric tons have already been sold, representing 42.41 percent of total availability and marking an improvement of 3.84 percentage points over the corresponding period last year.
Year-on-year data shows that sugar mills crushed an additional 1.14 million metric tons of cane and produced 156,590 metric tons more sugar compared to the previous season.
Punjab Cane Commissioner Amjad Hafeez told Wealth Pakistan that the improved performance was largely due to stricter enforcement of relevant laws and regulations. “The situation has improved significantly this season due to effective monitoring and compliance,” he said.
He said that farmers have supplied sugarcane worth Rs98.8 billion so far, out of which Rs87 billion has already been paid, reflecting a payment compliance rate of 88 percent. Farmers received an average price of Rs401 per 40 kilograms of sugarcane this season, compared to Rs387 during the previous year.
Sugar millers maintain that the crushing season is progressing smoothly across the province, ensuring adequate sugar availability at stable prices.
Pakistan Sugar Mills Association former central chairman Javed Kiyani said the current phase represents the peak selling season for mills and expressed hope that both growers and millers would benefit.
He noted that the ex-mill sugar price in Punjab has declined to Rs139 per kilogram, compared to Rs134 per kilogram in Sindh, and may decrease further in the coming days.
According to sugar dealers, the ex-mill price could fall to around Rs130 per kilogram or slightly higher if the current pace of crushing continues.
Muhammad Amjad, President of the Lahore Sugar Dealers Association, said retail prices could drop below Rs150 per kilogram if market conditions remain stable.