An increase in the sugar recovery rate has been reported by the UP sugar millers this year. Prolonged winters have resulted in providing these milers respite. The current recovery rate now can be closely compared to last year. This year it has been 8.86% compared to an 8.94% last year.

Most sugar millers expect this rate to jump up to 9-9.5% by the time the season ends as winters continue to prevail in the month of February as well. A decent recovery rate would mean that the sugar production rate would improve in UP and the millers would be able to find improving cost of production. When the season started the recovery rate from cane was a bit low at 7.8% but improved as the season progressed to 8.86% in February.

Earlier there were speculations that the production this year would decline sharply because of the poor start and the farmers not accepting the price that millers were paying them for cane, but improved conditions have also seen the price soar upto 270/quintal at some places.

Despite a poor start to the season the UP milers are hoping to produce an equal or even a better amount than the last year's production. This year they have already produced about 35 lakh tones of sugar. Last year i. e 2008-09 season, UP had produced 40.64 lakh tonnes of sugar.