Crushing of sugarcane continues in only 18 sugar mills in Maharashtra

24-Mar-2025 06:23 PM

Pune. In the country's leading sugar producing state - Maharashtra, during the current marketing season (October-September) of 2024-25, crushing of sugarcane had started in some 200 plants, out of which 182 units were closed by March 23 and now only 18 mills are operational.

The 182 mills in which crushing of sugarcane has been completed include 45 mills of Solapur division, 40 of Kolhapur division, 26 of Pune division, 25 of Nanded, 22 of Ahilya Nagar, 21 of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar and 3 mills of Amravati division.

During the same period last year, 141 sugar mills were closed there. According to official data, during the current marketing season of 2024-25, till March 23, 2025, a total of 797.48 lakh quintals (79.75 lakh tonnes) of sugar was produced by the units of Maharashtra,

which is 27 lakh tonnes less than the production of 1067.50 lakh quintals or 106.75 lakh tonnes during the same period of the previous season.

During the period under review, the crushing of sugarcane in sugar mills in Maharashtra also declined from 1046.58 lakh tonnes to 843.33 lakh tonnes.

Not only this, but the average recovery rate of sugar from sugarcane in the state also declined from 10.2 percent last season to 9.46 percent this time.

According to industry analysts, the supply of sugarcane to the sugar mills of Maharashtra is getting very less while its crushing capacity has increased significantly.

The average yield rate of sugarcane saw a huge decline this time. The sugar production season is going to end there soon.

This time the crushing of sugarcane in the state started late and will end early. Along with this, more quantity of sugarcane was used there for ethanol production.

Sugar production is likely to decrease in some other states including Maharashtra as well as Karnataka, due to which its total production at the national level is expected to fall sharply by 50-55 lakh tonnes.