Sugar Futures Remain Above 20 Cents
2026-10-20 14:33
By
Luisa Carvalho
1 min. read
US sugar futures stayed above 20 cents per pound, close to their highest level since February 2025, amid persistent concerns over tightening supplies and support from elevated oil prices.
In top producer Brazil, excessive rainfall linked to El Niño disrupted sugarcane harvesting and crushing operations in the key Center-South region, delaying the harvest and leaving volumes below initial forecasts.
Meanwhile, India, the world’s second-largest sugar producer, faces a smaller crop than a year earlier after a powerful El Niño contributed to the weakest monsoon in more than a decade.
Insufficient rainfall in key sugarcane-growing regions, particularly Maharashtra and Karnataka, has raised concerns over lower yields.
Against this backdrop, the government ordered state-owned fuel retailers to stop procuring ethanol produced from sugar and key sugarcane-based feedstocks from November 1, potentially redirecting more sugarcane supplies towards sugar production.