Oversold Conditions Spark Short Covering in Sugar Futures

Group 1: Sugar Price Trends - Sugar prices have recently settled higher after a three-week decline, with NY world sugar 11 closing up by 1.05% and December London ICE white sugar 5 up by 0.41% [1] - The recent price pressure was attributed to a five-year low in NY sugar futures and a 4.75-year low in London sugar, primarily due to increased sugar output in Brazil and expectations of a global sugar surplus [2] Group 2: Brazil's Sugar Production - Brazil's Center-South sugar output in the first half of October increased by 1.3% year-on-year to 2.484 million tons, with the percentage of sugarcane crushed for sugar rising to 48.24% from 47.33% the previous year [3] - Cumulative sugar output for the 2025-26 season through mid-October rose by 0.9% year-on-year to 36.016 million tons [3] - Datagro projected Brazil's sugar production for the 2026/27 season to reach a record 44 million tons, reflecting a 3.9% year-on-year increase [2] Group 3: India's Sugar Outlook - India's sugar production is expected to rebound significantly, with a projected 19% year-on-year increase to 34.9 million tons for the 2025/26 season, following a 17.5% decline to a five-year low of 26.2 million tons in 2024/25 [4] - The Indian Meteorological Department reported cumulative monsoon rainfall of 937.2 mm, which is 8% above normal, indicating favorable conditions for a bumper sugar crop [4] Group 4: Export Dynamics - India's sugar mills may export up to 4 million tons of sugar in 2025/26, exceeding earlier expectations of 2 million tons, as the country faces a surplus despite plans to divert sugar for ethanol production [5] - Sucden's assertion that only 4 million tons of sugar may be diverted for ethanol production suggests that the surplus situation in India will persist [5]