Maharashtra to ban export of molasses in 2023-24 to ensure supplies for alcohol and ethanol

Maharashtra government has decided to ban export of molasses, the raw material used for manufacturing potable alcohol, which is an important source of revenue for the state government, in the 2022-23 sugarcane crushing season. The state is expecting a fall of 15% in the sugarcane production.

Molasses, a by product of sugar manufacturing, is also used for production of ethanol, essential for the country’s ethanol blending programme, at a time when the crude oil prices are on the rise.

The sugar industry, which is regulated by the Sugarcane Control Order, cannot begin the sugar production before the official date commencing the sugar season.


A committee of ministers met on Thursday to take various decisions about the 2023-24 crushing season (October-September).

“The crushing season of 2023-24 would begin from November 1,” said sugar commissioner Chandrakant Pulkdwar.

It has also decided to bring jaggery production units under regulation.

The state’s sugar industry had requested the state government to regulate the increasing number of khandsari and jaggery units in the state as they are competing with the sugar mills to get a share of the limited availability of sugarcane.

The jaggery units having more than 100 tonnes per day capacity would now come under the Maharashtra Khandsari Act.

“The number of khandsari units has increased substantially during last few years. Some of them have also set up jaggery units in the same premises,” said Sanjaykumar Bhosale, director (sugar), Maharashtra.