Sugar season in Maharashtra has entered the last phase with mills closing their operations after completing crushing of the cane available in their region.
After Kolhapur and Nagpur, sugar mills in Solapur region as well starting shutting their crushing operations.
According to the sugar commissionerate, 18 sugar mills have closed operations till March 20, 2022, including 14 from Kolhapur, 1 from Nagpur, and 3 from Solapur.
Total 197 sugar mills, including 98 cooperatives and 99 private mills, participated in the current season. The mills have produced 1111.64 lakh quintal sugar by crushing 1072.58 lakh tonne sugarcane with a recovery of 10.36 per cent till March 20, 2022.
According to the Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA), the sugar estimate from Maharashtra has been increased to 126 lakh tonnes as against the earlier estimate of 117 lakh tonne for the 2021-22 season (after considering diversion for ethanol production).
