Kolhapur: Considering the availability of the sugarcane and the ensuing state assembly elections, the harvesting season in Maharashtra is likely to start after November 15 in the upcoming season.
The date for sugar factories to start crushing was finalized during a high-level ministerial committee meeting chaired by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in Mumbai on Monday.
Ajit Pawar stated that he had already discussed the likely election dates and the need to delay the crushing season with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. “We decided to begin the crushing only after November 15,” he said. The neighbouring state of Karnataka has also announced that its mills will begin crushing after the same date.
The sugarcane belt in Maharashtra sees a significant influx of sugarcane cutters from Marathwada, who migrate temporarily for the harvesting season. Voting for the Maharashtra assembly elections is expected to take place before November 15.
In a written statement, Ajit Pawar explained, “There is less availability of sugarcane in Maharashtra this year. The timing of the harvest affects the sugar recovery rate. To ensure an efficient crushing season for the mills, we decided to delay the start. After discussing possible election dates and the crushing season with the Chief Minister, we reached this conclusion.”
