Reason: Early closure of crushing due to cane shortage.
Sugar output in Maharashtra, the country’s largest producer of the sweetener, has declined 35 per cent so far this season on early closure of crushing due to unavailability of sugarcane.
According to data compiled by the Maharashtra State Co-operative Sugar Factories Federation (Sugar Federation), the total output of the sweetener plunged to 4.5 million tonnes as on March 18, compared to 6.8 million tonnes till the corresponding date last year.
The total cane crushing has been reported at 39 million tonnes, a staggering 32.31 per cent decline from 57 million tonnes the state had crushed during the same time last year.
“In addition to the lower acreage under sugarcane, the decline in sugar output can be attributed to the over one-and -a-half months delay in the commencement of crushing during the current season,” said Prakash Naiknavare, managing director of Sugar Federation.
The total acreage under cane in the state has shrunk from 1 million hectares (ha) in 2006-07 to 800,000 ha in 2007-08 and further to 787,000 ha in 2008-09 due to the shift of farmers from cane to other remunerative crops, including soybean, maize and cotton.
The state which is set to contribute 29 per cent of the country’s estimated output of 16 million tonnes, grows three major crops of sugarcane.
The first, adsali (an 18-month crop), is planted during April-July of the season and harvested after 18 months. The second, a 15-month pre-seasonal crop, is sown during August-November and the third, the suru crop is planted in December-February for harvesting in 12 months.
About three fourth of the cane is grown for 15-month pre-seasonal crop while adsali and suru plantings account for 10 per cent and 15 per cent respectively. So far this season, the state’s sugar yield is running 0.64 per cent lower than the previous year’s figure of 11.95 per cent due to unfavourable climatic conditions.
Meanwhile, sugar mills in Maharasthra are set to declare closure of current crushing season by the end of April 15 due to unavailability of cane, two months ahead of these mills were closed last year.
According to data compiled by Sugar Federation, 85 per cent or 118 sugar operational crushing units have been shut so far this year as against a mere 4 mills till the corresponding day last year. This year, a total 143 mills were registered for crushing as against over 160 last year.
For the full season, the Federation estimates the sugar output to reduce heavily to 47 - 48 lakh tonnes by crushing 400 - 410 lakh tonnes of cane as compared to 91 lakh tonnes with 761 lakh cane in the last season. Naiknavare is confident that the sugar output in the state would rise next year to 60 lakh tonnes with acreage area increasing to 10 lakh ha and yield rising by 10 tonnes to 80 tonnes per ha.
