Sugarcane Harvest Begins In Maharashtra, 182 Factories Start Operations
Pune, 8th December 2022: The sugarcane harvesting season in Maharashtra has accelerated. A total of 182 factories have started their season by the end of December 7. Sifting is going on with an average capacity of eight lakh tonnes per day. A total of about 284 lakh tonnes of sugarcane has been sieved, and 252 lakh quintals of sugar have been produced. According to the information given by the Sugar Commissionerate, a total of 182 factories, including 91 cooperative and 91 private factories, have started refining by the end of December 7.
In terms of the sugar sector, Solapur is at the forefront, with 45 factories. 34 factories have been started in Kolhapur Division, 28 in Pune Division, 26 in Nanded Division, 24 in Nagar Division, 20 in Aurangabad Division, three in Nagpur Division, and two in Amravati Division. Sector-wise performance is similar in silage and sugar production. Kolhapur division has taken the lead only in the extraction – the sugar extract is the highest at 10.28.
Last year a total of 200 private and cooperative factories were initiated, of which, 18 are yet to be started. The start of the season was delayed due to prolonged monsoon rains, grain blown by return rains, Dussehra, Diwali, and other factors. Like in previous years, sugarcane crushers had to be sent from western Maharashtra to complete the sugarcane sieving in Marathwada.
“This year, though the sugarcane season started late, the amount of sugarcane is high. Khodwa sugarcane has a low yield per hectare. So the season will be completed on time. The season will not continue until June. Factories will benefit from good ethanol prices and rising sugar prices in the international market,” said Shekhar Gaikwad, Sugar Commissioner.
