New Delhi, May 22 -- The Indian sugar industry is pressing the government to increase ethanol procurement prices, aligning them with the recent hike in the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) for sugarcane.

This appeal comes amidst a significant downturn in sugar production and escalating financial challenges faced by sugar mills.

In the 2024-25 crushing season, India's sugar output plummeted by over 55 lakh metric tonnes (LMT), dropping from 315.40 LMT in the previous year to 257.40 LMT.

Maharashtra and Karnataka experienced the steepest declines, attributed to erratic rainfall and red rot disease, which also led to a decrease in sugar recovery ratesfrom 10.10per cent to 9.30 per cent.Consequently, 532 out of 534 sugar mills ceased oper...