«There are fears that the one million (ton) quota could actually be reduced», — Prakash Naiknavare, managing director of the National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories, told Reuters on the sidelines of the annual Dubai Sugar Conference.
India last month allowed exports of 1 million metric tons of sugar during the current season to September 2025 to help mills of the world’s second-biggest producer export surplus stocks and prop up local prices.
Naiknavare said exports so far had totalled around 500,000 tonnes and have mainly focused on neighboring countries Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nepal, as well as Eastern Africa.
He noted mill closures in northern India and struggles elsewhere due to poor harvest conditions.
The closures suggest India will produce less sugar than initially estimated and have lifted local prices, making India less competitive on global export markets.
«I think at most 700,000 tonnes will be exported by September but I doubt the government will make any changes to the quota», — he told Reuters.
