The position of more sugar producing states in the country has changed: Maharashtra’s sugar production is estimated to reach 12 lakh tonnes: UP ranks second with 105 lakh tonnes of sugar production
New Delhi, Dt
The position of most sugar producing states in the country has changed and that too with a big difference. In the current crushing season (October, 2021 to September, 206), Maharashtra’s sugar production is estimated to reach 1.5 million tonnes. While Uttar Pradesh has reached the second position with the production of 104 lakh tonnes of sugar. Maharashtra was ahead of Uttar Pradesh till 2016-17. UP surpassed it in 2012-13 and was becoming the largest sugar producing state in the country till the 2020-21 season but after 6 years, Maharashtra has surpassed it. However, due to increase in production in many states, including Maharashtra, the country is projected to produce a record 3.50 lakh tonnes of sugar this year. “There are three reasons for the huge increase in sugar production in Maharashtra,” said Prakash Nayakanwar, managing director, National Federation of Co-operative Sugar Factories Limited. Good rainfall and more water in reservoirs, increase in area of sugarcane and large increase in productivity of sugarcane. In the current crushing season, sugarcane production in Maharashtra has increased from 50 tonnes per hectare to 104 tonnes per hectare, Nayakanwar said. 203 varieties of sugarcane are giving good productivity in the state. At the same time, he says, the farmers have taken good care of the crop with good rains because they knew that they would get a good price for sugarcane this year. One of the reasons for the increase in sugar production in the state this year is the area of unregistered sugarcane, which is called unregistered sugarcane area. In the year 2020-21, the area under sugarcane in the state was 11.5 lakh hectares, while according to the office of the state sugar commissioner, in the current crushing season, the area under sugarcane in the state has increased from about one lakh hectares to 16.5 lakh hectares. This additional area of sugarcane was not recorded in the sugar mills. Most of the unregistered areas are in Ahmednagar and Solapur districts of Marathwada which are often affected by drought but this time the situation has changed due to good rains and increase in sugarcane cultivation. Sugar mills expect crushing to continue till June due to excess sugarcane in the state. Apart from Maharashtra, Karnataka has also seen good production and has reached 3 million tonnes. In Gujarat, after the record of 12.5 lakh tonnes in 2010-11, the production of sugar here has reached 12 lakh tonnes this year. Sugar production in Uttar Pradesh reached 12.5 lakh tonnes in 2016-20, which has come down to 104 lakh tonnes in the current season. This is the lowest in the first 3 years.
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