Maharashtra faces sugarcane glut as end of crushing season nears

Sugarcane glut is rising as a severe challenge for mills and farmers in Maharashtra as the year is drawing to a near. In the past sugar season, only 189 sugar mills had been operational in the Point out by February 25. These sugar mills experienced crushed 80.471 million tonnes (mt) of sugarcane as sugar period was ending. 

This period, 197 sugar mills are operational and have crushed 91.607 mt of sugarcane and continue to, there is a lot more to appear. According to sources, there is about 30 mt of sugarcane nonetheless on the fields. 

Very last period mills in the Point out had produced 8.237 mt of l sugar by February 25, although this season the sugar output has currently crossed 9.38 mt.

Mills in a quandary 

Looking at the glut, mills have amplified their day by day crushing ability and a lot of mill administrators say now it would not be attainable for them to operate operations over and above selected period.

“The government should really have an understanding of the ground reality. Mills have restrictions to proceed crushing functions. The readily available mechanism is capable of crushing only to a sure limit,” stated an official linked with just one of the sugar mills in Sangli district. 

In accordance to field gamers, several mills have previously crossed their crushing potential and by some means are dragging on the time. But this may well not keep on for a very long and mills will have to announce the closure. Only a couple massive sugar mills in the State will be able to operate until eventually the up coming thirty day period-close.

State’s warning 

The Sugar Commissioner of Maharashtra has currently warned of action against mills which fall short to elevate all out there sugarcane in the allotted locality. The Condition government has questioned mills to just take authorization just before asserting closures for the season. 

The government has warned that the director boards of the sugar mills will be held accountable for uncrushed sugarcane. In circumstance mills are not able to crush the excessive sugarcane, the director board ought to co-ordinate with other mills so that farmers can divert their sugarcane to them. At any cost, mills simply cannot depart farmers in the lurch, the federal government has warned. 

Farmers worried 

Farmer organizations, especially in western Maharashtra, w the sugar bowl of the State, say sugar mills are not responding to their phone calls to liftethe sugarcane from their subject. 

“Farmers are really having difficulties to hook up with mills and requesting them to dispatch sugarcane cutter teams to the fields. Even sugarcane cutters are not responding,” said Ramesh Sawant, a farmer.

Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana chief Raju Shetti claimed sugar mills in the Condition are not able to shrug off their responsibilities and have to lift all the sugarcane produced by farmers. He stated when there is the shortage of sugarcane, mills are soon after farmers asking for sugarcane, and now the identical mills are turning their again on the farmers.

Published on


February 25, 2022