Sugar Costs Fall Again From Monday’s 2-month Excessive

Could NY world sugar #11 (SBK26) at the moment is down -0.13 (-0.90%), and Could London ICE white sugar #5 (SWK26) is down -5.60 (-1.34%).

Sugar costs at the moment have fallen again on some lengthy liquidation strain after posting a 2-month excessive on Monday.  At present’s mildly increased greenback is bearish for sugar costs.

Sugar costs are buying and selling decrease regardless of at the moment’s +4% rally in oil costs, which is often supportive of sugar costs.  Increased crude oil costs assist ethanol costs, encouraging the world’s sugar mills to divert cane crushing towards ethanol manufacturing fairly than sugar, thereby lowering sugar provides.

On February 12, sugar costs plunged to five.25-year nearest-futures lows on concern {that a} international sugar surplus will persist.  On February 11, analysts from sugar dealer Czarnikow mentioned they anticipate a world sugar surplus of three.4 MMT within the 2026/27 crop yr, following an 8.3 MMT surplus in 2025/26.   Additionally, Inexperienced Pool Commodity Specialists mentioned on January 29 that they anticipate a 2.74 MMT international sugar surplus for 2025/26 and a 156,000 MT surplus for 2026/27.  In the meantime, StoneX mentioned February 13 that it expects a world sugar surplus of two.9 MMT in 2025/26.

The Worldwide Sugar Group (ISO) on February 27 forecasted a +1.22 MMT (million metric ton) sugar surplus in 2025-26, following a -3.46 MMT deficit in 2024-25.  ISO mentioned the excess is being pushed by elevated sugar manufacturing in India, Thailand, and Pakistan.  ISO is forecasting a +3.0% y/y rise in international sugar manufacturing to 181.3 million MMT in 2025-26.

Indicators of decrease sugar output in Brazil are supportive of sugar costs, after Unica on February 18 reported that sugar manufacturing in Brazil’s Middle-South within the second half of January fell by -36% y/y to solely 5,000 MT.  Nonetheless, cumulative 2025-26 Middle-South sugar output by January rose +0.9% y/y to 40.24 MMT.

The Indian Sugar and Bio-energy Producers Affiliation (ISMA) reported on March 6 that India’s 2025-26 sugar output from Oct 1-Feb 28 was up +12% y/y to 24.75 MMT.  Final Wednesday, the ISMA projected India’s 2025/26 sugar manufacturing at 29.3 MMT, up 12% y/y, under an earlier projection of 30.95 MMT.  The ISMA additionally minimize its estimate for sugar used for ethanol manufacturing in India to three.4 MMT from a July forecast of 5 MMT, which can enable India to spice up its sugar exports.  India is the world’s second-largest sugar producer.

Sugar costs are being undercut amid prospects of upper Indian sugar exports.  On February 13, India’s authorities authorised a further 500,000 MT of sugar for export for the 2025/26 season, on prime of the 1.5 MMT authorised in November.  India launched a quota system for sugar exports in 2022/23 after late rain lowered manufacturing and restricted home provides.

The USDA, in its bi-annual report launched on December 16, projected that international 2025/26 sugar manufacturing would climb +4.6% y/y to a file 189.318 MMT and that international 2025/26 human sugar consumption would improve +1.4% y/y to a file 177.921 MMT.  The USDA additionally forecast that 2025/26 international sugar ending shares would fall by -2.9% y/y to 41.188 MMT.  The USDA’s Overseas Agricultural Service (FAS) predicted that Brazil’s 2025/26 sugar manufacturing would rise by 2.3% y/y to a file 44.7 MMT.  FAS additionally predicted that India’s 2025/26 sugar manufacturing would improve by 25% y/y to 35.25 MMT, pushed by favorable monsoon rains and elevated sugar acreage.  As well as, FAS predicted that Thailand’s 2025/26 sugar manufacturing will improve by +2% y/y to 10.25 MMT.

On the date of publication, Wealthy Asplund didn’t have (both straight or not directly) positions in any of the securities talked about on this article. All info and information on this article is solely for informational functions. This text was initially revealed on Barchart.com