Maharashtra may start crushing season from November 1; Devendra Fadanvis says will consider demand

PUNE: Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadanvis agreed to call second meeting of the ministers' committee to consider the demand of the industry to start the sugarcane crushing from November 1 instead of the earlier decided date of December 1.

Normally, Maharashtra's crushing season begins between mid-October to mid-November. This year however, the state government decided to start the crushing season only from December 1 due to lesser availability of cane in the state. \

However, a majority of the mills, especially from the bordering districts of Sangli, Satara, Kolhapur and Solapur were against this decision as they feared diversion of the cane to the Karnataka mills, which are likely to begin their crushing operations in November.

"We are keen to begin the crushing from November 1," said BB Thombre, president, Western India Sugar Mills Association.

The state's sugar commissionerate imposes a heavy fine of Rs 500/tonne on the mills who begin the crushing operations before the date announced by the state government.

Farmers' organisation Swabhimani Shetkari Sangathana also supported the demand of the sugar millers of early crushing. "We submitted written letters of 30 sugar mills to the chief minister demanding permission to begin crushing operations from November," said Raju Shetty, founder leader of the Sangathana.

The CM promised Shetty to call a meeting of the committee of ministers to review the decision of starting crushing operations from December 1.

Sources in the industry claimed that the decision of delaying crushing season by a month was taken to benefit a heavy weight minister, whose own mills' expansion work is not likely to get over by November.