All nine state-owned sugar mills in Bangladesh are set to begin their crushing operations by December 18, as the government rolls out a phased schedule for the new sugarcane crushing season.

The move comes amid continued challenges in the country's sugar industry, including outdated machinery, low sugar recovery rates and insufficient sugarcane supplies.

North Bengal Sugar Mills in Gopalpur, Natore, has already started crushing operations and produced around 400 tonnes of sugar, according to Md Shamsuzzaman Suruz, chairman of the Bangladesh Sugar and Food Industries Corporation (BSFIC).

Natore Sugar Mills and Rajshahi Sugar Mills are scheduled to begin operations on November 13. Zeal Bangla Sugar Mills in Jamalpur will start on November 27, followed by Thakurgaon Sugar Mills on December 4.

The remaining four mills- Joypurhat Sugar Mills, Carew & Co in Chuadanga, Mobarakganj Sugar Mills in Jhenaidah and Faridpur Sugar Mills in Madhukhali- are scheduled to begin crushing on December 18.

The new schedule was announced through a Ministry of Industries notification published in the Bangladesh Gazette on November 2. It replaces the previous schedule introduced in August 1994.

BSFIC is monitoring sugar production and crushing activities daily. The initial sugar recovery rate is around 5 percent, but officials hope to increase it to at least 6 percent as the season progresses.

The corporation is also taking steps to improve production efficiency, ensure a steady supply of quality sugarcane and introduce improved sugarcane varieties. Trials are currently underway in Madhukhali and Natore.

Despite these efforts, the industry continues to face significant financial pressure. BSFIC reported a loss of Tk 554.36 crore in the 2024–25 fiscal year, compared with Tk 508.24 crore in the previous year.

Among the nine operational mills, only Carew & Co (Bangladesh) Ltd recorded a profit, earning Tk 97.08 crore during the fiscal year.

The cost of producing one kilogramme of sugar stood at Tk 260.14, including interest expenses, while the government's fixed selling price was Tk 125.

During FY2024-25, the nine mills crushed 839,211 tonnes of sugarcane and produced 46,187 tonnes of sugar, far below the country's annual demand of approximately 20 lakh tonnes.

BSFIC attributed the industry's continued losses to inadequate sugarcane supplies, ageing factories and declining production efficiency. Six of its 15 mills have remained closed since FY2020-21.