Maharashtra ministers divided over 2016-17 sugarcane crushing season

PUNE: It has become clear that there are differences within Maharashtra ministers about when to start the 2016-17 sugarcane crushing season. Meanwhile, the sugar commissionerate has made it clear that the opening stock of sugar as on October 1 is enough to take care of sugar requirement of next four to five months.

A ministerial committee headed by chief minister Devendra Fadanvis decided to delay the crushing season on December 1, which is a delay of one-and-a-half-months as compared to the normal schedule, state marketing minister Sadabhau Khot of the Swabhimani Shetkari Sangathana has demanded that the crushing season be started from the first week of November.

"The ratoon crop in Sangli and Kolhapur region needs to be cut early. If crushing is delayed, farmers will not be able to go for the rabi crops," said Khot.

The Sangathana, along with its leader Raju Shetti want the season to begin early to avoid movement of cane from Kolhapur, Sangli and Satara, the districts bordering Karnataka, into the neighbouring state.

The mills from the Marathwada region are interested in starting the crushing season late as it will help the mills to increase the sugar production. According to the agricultural department, in the current scenario, as the rainfall has been good, if the cane stays longer in the fields, the sugar recovery ratio can be higher by 0.4% to 0.5%.

The opening stock of sugar in Maharashtra as on October 1 is 32.7 lakh tonne as compared to 33 lakh tonne as on October 1, 2015.