Sugarcane crushing season to be extended till monsoon — CM

He further said that the Government was preparing a masterplan of sugarcane cooperatives in the State. Answering a supplementary question he said that the Government would permit the setting up of new sugar cooperatives in the districts, where ample cane was available.

Answering the motion Minister of State for Cooperatives, Babasaheb Kkupekar pointed out that there was no surplus sugarcane in Kolhapur, Sangli, Satara, Dhule and Pune districts. He further said that sugarcane was surplus in the captive cultivation zones of 11 sugar cooperatives in Solapur, Usmanabad, Latur, Jalna, Beed and Ahmednagar districts.

He further informed that cane crushing had began in 123 out of the 125 cooperatives. He said that according to revised estimates, about 547 lakh tonnes of sugarcane were available for crushing and about 395 lakh tonnes had already been crushed by March 15.

He said sugar cooperatives had been informed to extend the crushing season from 160 days to 180 days and even further, if necessary to ensure that the entire cane was crushed. Answering queries from Bhumare, Harshavardhan Patil, Haribhau Bagade and Jaiprakash Mundada on whether the Government would pay compensation to farmers whose sugarcane remained uncrushed, the CM said the decision would depend on the situation.