Sugar production from sugarcane has declined this year compared to the previous fiscal year.
On average, 8.72 kg of sugar has been produced per quintal of sugarcane in the current fiscal year, a drop from last year’s 9.11 kg, according to Surendra Shukla, General Manager of Everest Sugar Industry in Gaushala Municipality-1.
The industry has fallen short of its sugarcane crushing target by about 400,000 quintals. In the Fiscal Year 2024/25, it crushed 3.1 million quintals of sugarcane, producing 270,588 quintals of sugar. In contrast, last year, it processed 2.9 million quintals and produced 264,591 quintals of sugar.
Shukla stated that the cause of the decline in the sugar production ratio is under investigation. Meanwhile, farmers believe that insufficient winter rainfall may be a contributing factor. Mahendra Mahato, a farmer from Pashupatinagar in Bardibas Municipality-9, suggested that unfavorable monsoon rains last year might also have impacted production.
This year, Everest Sugar Industry had aimed to crush 3.5 million quintals of sugarcane and produce 315,000 quintals of sugar. However, due to a sugarcane shortage, achieving this target appears unlikely, according to General Manager Shukla.
