Pune: The threat of coronavirus pandemic looms over the sugarcane harvesting season as many sugarcane cutters from Marathwada region are uncertain about their movement to the sugar belt area of Western Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh for harvesting.
Usually, sugarcane harvesting season starts in October every year. Only two months are left for the commencement of harvesting season. These workers depend on sugarcane harvesting to run their families.
According to the news report published in The Hindu Business Line, Beed-based activist Manisha Tokale said that district collectors will have to take a call on allowing migration of sugarcane cutters.
As per ISMA, Maharashtra’s net cane area has gone up by about 43 per cent in 2020-21 SS, which is mainly due to above normal SW and NE monsoon in 2019, followed by normal rainfall from January to March’ 2020. As against the net cane area of 7.76 lakh ha. in 2019-20 SS, area is expected to increase to 11.12 lakh ha in 2020-21.
The State government has not yet decided on allowing migration of sugarcane cutters.
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