Molasses price today in India

Molasses is the thick, dark syrup left after sugar crystals are extracted from sugarcane juice. It is a highly palatable energy source (50-55% total sugars, mostly sucrose and invert sugars) and a natural binder — its stickiness helps compound feed pellets hold together and prevents fine particles from separating. Every commercial cattle feed pellet in India contains 2-5% molasses.

For farmers buying molasses directly, typical uses are as a palatability enhancer for less-tasty feeds (mustard cake, urea-treated straw), as a carrier for mineral mixtures and vitamin premixes, and as a partial energy source for dry cows and low-yielders. Because molasses is a rapidly-fermenting sugar source, inclusion above 5-8% of concentrate risks rumen acidosis — treat molasses like maize starch and cap it accordingly.

Molasses prices in India follow the sugar cane crushing season: prices are lowest in December-March during peak crushing, and highest in July-October when sugar mills are closed. Prices also depend on state — Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Karnataka (the sugarcane-belt states) offer the lowest wholesale rates. Ethanol demand under the E20 blending programme has become a significant molasses price driver since 2023, pulling molasses into distillery use and away from feed and jaggery markets.