China’s second-largest sugar-producing region is finishing its strongest season on record.
As of June 1, 2026, Yunnan Province had not yet wrapped up its 2025/26 crushing season — 44 sugar mills had completed operations, while 8 remained active. The final tallies, however, are already historic.
Production Hits All-Time Highs
Through June 1, Yunnan mills crushed a cumulative 22.30 million tonnes of sugarcane, up 4.23 million tonnes year-on-year (+23.44%). This drove sugar output to a record 2.928 million tonnes, a 510,000-tonne increase (+21.07%) over the same period last season (2.419 million tonnes). The average sugar recovery rate came in at 13.13%, slightly below last season’s 13.39%.
Yunnan now accounts for roughly one-quarter of China’s total national sugar output, with the province ranking first nationwide in four key metrics: sugarcane crush volume growth, sugar output growth, average recovery rate improvement, and imported cane volume.
Sales and Inventory
Through May 31, Yunnan mills had sold 1.624 million tonnes of sugar — a sales rate of 55.45%, trailing last year’s 64.32% for the same period. In May alone, mills moved 311,200 tonnes.
Industrial inventory currently stands at 1.304 million tonnes, notably higher than the 862,900 tonnes recorded at this point last season, reflecting a slower pace of offtake in the domestic market.
Ethanol co-production totaled 40,700 tonnes for the season, all of which has been sold.
Cross-Border Cane Imports Play a Key Role
A significant share of crushed cane was sourced internationally. From October 2025 through April 2026, Yunnan border ports imported 3.94 million tonnes of sugarcane from Myanmar, Laos, and other neighboring countries — roughly 18% of total crush volume for the season.
Wrapping Up
With only a handful of mills still running, Yunnan is expected to complete the 2025/26 crushing season by mid-June. Once the final curtain drops, the province will have delivered what is shaping up to be its best season ever across multiple benchmarks.
Current Spot Prices (as of June 6)
Yunnan spot sugar prices are holding at ¥5,020–5,190/tonne, with ex-factory prices at mills ranging from ¥5,020–5,050/tonne and the Kunming market trading at ¥5,150–5,190/tonne. For the latest national benchmarks, refer to the CSI National Sugar Spot Price Index.
Note: All figures are preliminary and subject to revision upon official end-of-season data release. Feel free to leave a comment with any corrections or updates.
