Maharashtra Sugar Commissioner Shekhar Gaikwad in a letter to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs has stated that an estimated 12. 32 lakh hectare area in the State will be under sugarcane cultivation during 2021-22 sugar season and mills might crush 1,096 lakh tonne cane to produce 122 lakh tonne sugar. Mills in the State produced 106.3 lakh tonne of sugar after crushing 1,012 lakh tonne of cane in the recently concluded season.
The estimated 122 lakh tonne sugar production in the forthcoming season is excluding sugar diverted to ethanol production.
Interestingly, even as many mills are not sure of starting crushing season owing to financial burdens, Sugar Commissioner has informed the Ministry that out of 245 installed mills in the State about 192 mills will operate during the 2021-22 crushing season.
In the 2020-21 sugar season 190 sugar mills participated in the crushing season compared to 144 sugar mills in the 2019-20 season. Indian Sugar Mill Association (ISMA) has already stated that to maintain liquidity of funds, mills are under pressure to sell sugar at such low prices. Many mills are still not able to pay FRP for the cane crushed in the 2020-21 season.
According to experts increase in sugarcane cultivation in the State is the result of series of lockdowns. As a majority of small vegetable and food grain growers suffered heavily due to the closure of markets, they are looking for assured income against the backdrop of likely Covid-19 third wave.