By Azeem Ahmed
Pakistan sugarcane production 2025 is a mix of growth and struggle. Despite a fall in yield and regional production losses, the overall sugarcane output for 2025–26 saw a slight rise, mainly because more land was brought under cultivation, according to official figures obtained by this reporter.
Sugarcane Area Expands Across the Country
To start with, the total area planted with sugarcane reached 1.21 million hectares—an increase of 1.7% from last year’s 1.19 million hectares.
The country’s overall production climbed modestly to 84.74 million tons from 84.24 million tons, marking a 0.6% growth. However, the average yield fell by 1.1%, dropping from 70.61 tons per hectare to 69.81 tons.
Sugarcane remains one of Pakistan’s most valuable cash crops. It feeds the country’s massive sugar industry, which stands second only to textiles in size and importance.
Punjab Leads in Sugarcane Output
In Punjab, which leads sugarcane production nationwide, the cultivated area grew by 4.8% to 856,000 hectares. This helped lift production by 2.7%, reaching 61.73 million tons compared to 60.11 million tons last year.
Yet, even with more land, the province’s yield slipped by 2%, from 73.6 to 72.1 tons per hectare.
Sindh, KP, and Balochistan Show Mixed Results
Sindh painted a different picture. The province’s sugarcane area shrank by 6.2% to 267,700 hectares, and production fell by 5.6% to 18.13 million tons from 19.21 million tons last year.
Interestingly, Sindh’s yield improved slightly by 0.6%, touching 67.7 tons per hectare.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) saw a small dip in cultivation—down 0.8% to 89,300 hectares compared to 90,000 last year. Even so, production stayed steady at around 4.8 million tons, with the yield holding firm at 54.1 tons per hectare.
Balochistan, though a minor player in sugarcane production, showed some encouraging signs. Its cultivated area grew 14.3% to 800 hectares from 700, while production increased 6.9% to 38,900 tons compared to 36,400 tons the year before.
Federal Agriculture Committee Targets and Achievements
According to the document, the Federal Committee on Agriculture (FCA) had aimed for 1.146 million hectares of sugarcane cultivation in 2025–26. The actual figure went beyond expectations, reaching 1.213 million hectares—5.9% above target.
Production also exceeded the planned goal of 80.32 million tons, clocking in at 84.74 million tons—5.5% higher than expected and 0.6% greater than the previous year.
Outlook for Future Sugarcane Growth in Pakistan
Punjab once again led the charge, surpassing both its area and production targets by roughly 12.5%. In contrast, Sindh and KP missed their goals, falling short by 7.7% and 6% in cultivated area, and by 9.1% and 7% in production, respectively. Balochistan managed to beat its area target by 14.3%, though its production lagged behind by 13.6%.
The document further revealed that during 2024–25, Pakistan’s total sugarcane yield stood at 69.8 tons per hectare—slightly below the FCA’s target of 70 tons per hectare, showing that while farmers expanded cultivation, productivity still faces challenges that need attention.
Author Profile
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Azeem Ahmed is an Islamabad-based journalist specializing in agriculture, business, and economic trends.
He provides insightful analysis on market developments and policy impacts shaping Pakistan’s economy.
