INCREASED CAPACITY of the mills to crush sugarcane and lower than expected per acre yield of the crop could see the state's sugarcane season ending early by April end. According to experts, the final sugar production figure for the state, as well as the country, would be lower than the initial predictions. This season, mills in Maharashtra were to crush 1,343 lakh tonnes of cane and produce 138 lakh tonnes of sugar. However, it is the mid-season, and most mills in Maharashtra are now having a rethink on both the length of the season as well as the total production of sugar. Bhairavnath B Thombare, chairman and managing director for the Latur-based Natural Sugar and Allied Industries said there has seen a drastic reduction in per-hectare yields of cane. “Last season we had recorded around 110 tonnes/hectares yield but this year it is about 85-90 lakh hectares,” he said. The ratio between sugar produced and cane crushed is also lower. It has led to lower sugar production despite the higher volume of cane crushed. “This season the state did not have the long sunny days and winters were warmer than expected. Both resulted in lower sucrose production and reduced per-hectare yields," Thombare said. Mils in Solapur and parts of Ahmednagar will start closing by mid-March, while in Ahmednagar and Nashik by mid-April. Very few mills are expected to continue crushing till mid-May. Across the country, around 340 lakh tonnes of sugar will be produced, he added. At the state level, Rothi Pawar, CEO of Baramati Agro Private Limited, said the production will be around 125 lakh tonnes of sugar. However, as the lower-than-expected production would rule out any extra quota for exports, there would be no shortage in domestic supplies.
