Pune: Sugar mills in Maharashtra suffered due to flood and drought last year. And now mills are affected due to coronavirus pandemic. Mills are under deep financial crisis.
The sugar mills generate revenue by selling sugar and by-products, but the sale is down due to lockdown imposed to stop coronavirus. Despite of facing the financial scarcity, mills are trying to clear cane dues. According to the news report published in Sakal newspaper, 86 sugar mills in Maharashtra cleared 100 per cent cane dues. In the current season, 146 mills participated in the crushing operations.
Mills are unable to sell the sugar amid lockdown, due to which sugar stocks are piling up in warehouses. The demand for sugar has been reduced as the industries like cold drinks, ice cream, bakeries and sweet shops are shut due to lockdown. Sugar mills are passing through a challenging time. The sugar sales in March and April, 2020, was lower than what was sold last year, by about 10 lakh tonnes.
