Sugar production fell by 16 per cent to 95.40 lakh tonne in the first quarter of the ongoing current marketing year that started in October, mainly due to a decline in output in Maharashtra, according to industry body ISMA data released on Thursday.

Mills had manufactured 113.01 lakh tonnes in the year-ago period. The production data excludes the diversion of sugar for ethanol making.

According to the Indian Sugar and Bio-Energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA), crushing rate in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka was better than last year.

However, the crushing rate suffered in Uttar Pradesh during the last week of December 2024 due to a temporary disruption in cane supply owing to rains.

During the first quarter, 493 mills were operational as against 512 factories a year ago.

Sugar production in Uttar Pradesh, the country's largest producer, declined to 32.80 lakh tonnes during the first quarter of the ongoing 2024-25 marketing year (October-September), from 34.35 lakh tonnes in the year-ago period.

The production in Maharashtra, the country's second-largest producer, declined sharply to 30 lakh tonne from 38.20 lakh tonnes a year ago, while that in Karnataka fell to 20.40 lakh tonnes from 24.91 lakh tonnes.

ISMA will come out with its second advance estimates of sugar production by January-end.

The industry body has projected domestic sugar consumption to be lower at 280 lakh tonne in the 2024-25 marketing year.

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