Kolhapur, Maharashtra: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, deputy CMs Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar and other top officials will meet on Wednesday to fix the date for the start of the sugarcane crushing season for 2023-2024, reported The Times of India.
The outcome of the meeting will set the course for sugarcane farmers and mills in the state.
Usually, the sugarcane crushing season commences around October 15th each year. However, this year, the season’s start has faced a delay due to a decrease in sugarcane cultivation, coupled with the anticipated low sugar production, primarily attributed to insufficient rainfall.
Industry experts expect that the panel, under the leadership of the Chief Minister, will likely permit mills to commence sugarcane crushing operations from November 1, 2023.
On the other hand, farmer leader and former Member of Parliament, Raju Shetti, has expressed concerns that the panel may not meet the demands of sugarcane farmers, who have been seeking additional payment from sugar mills.
