Pune: The crushing season for fourteen sugar mills in Maharashtra has officially concluded, marking an early end to operations due to a shortage of sugarcane. Among the 14 closed mills, 12 are in the Solapur division, and 2 are in the Nanded division.

So far, 667.65 lakh tonnes of sugarcane have been crushed in the state, with sugar production totaling 609.63 lakh quintals. However, experts have raised concerns over the shrinking sugarcane acreage, warning that more mills may face difficulties in the next crushing season.

Declining Production and Shorter Operating Period

For a sugar mill to remain profitable, it needs to operate for at least 150 days. However, due to the shortage of sugarcane, many mills have shut down in less than 100 days.

Comparing this season with last year:

• In 2023, sugar production at this time was 726.78 lakh quintals, whereas this year, it stands at 610 lakh quintals.

• Last year, only seven mills had completed their crushing by this time, whereas fourteen mills have already closed this year.

The crushing season officially began on November 15, but several mills faced delays in starting operations. Despite the late start, a higher number of mills have shut down early compared to the previous season. Several mills in Pune district are also expected to close operations by the end of this month.

Kolhapur Leads in Sugarcane Processing

The Kolhapur division recorded the highest sugarcane crushing output, processing 163.62 lakh tonnes and producing 176.55 lakh quintals of sugar with a recovery rate of 10.79%.

Key Takeaways from This Season:

• 14 sugar mills have completed crushing and shut down operations.

• 200 mills started the season, crushing 667.65 lakh tonnes of sugarcane.

• Total sugar production so far: 609.63 lakh quintals.

• 9.13% average sugar recovery rate.

• Shorter crushing period due to reduced sugarcane availability.