Kolhapur: Maharashtra has set a new record by crushing over 1,000 lakh tonne of cane and producing more than 1,000 lakh quintal of sugar during the current crushing season.
As per the state sugar commissionerate, till April 29 the sugar mills in the state have produced 1055.99 lakh quintal sugar by crushing 1006.90 lakh tonne of sugarcane.
The highest cane crushing in the past decade took place in 2018-19 when factories collectively crushed 953 lakh tonne of sugar cane and the lowest cane crushing took place in 2016-17 when only 373 lakh tonne of cane was crushed. Several farmers had stayed away from cane cultivation in 2016-17 owing to drought.
However, the sugar millers are worried as they are unable to sell the excess sugar in the market.
Huge sugar production in the state is attributed to the favourable climate and satisfactory rainfall. According to the sugar commissionerate, around 11 lakh hectare land was under cane cultivation this season as against 8 lakh hectares last year.
