The sugarcane crushing season in Maharashtra is nearly over, with only one mill still operational out of the 200 that participated in the 2024-25 season. This remaining mill, located in Pune, is expected to finish its operations soon.
According to a report from the Sugar Commissionerate, by April 15, 199 sugar mills in the state had concluded their operations. This includes 45 mills in Solapur, 40 mills in Kolhapur, 30 mills in Pune, 29 mills in Nanded, 26 mills in Ahilyanagar, 22 mills in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, 4 mills in Amravati, and 3 mills in Nagpur. In comparison, 197 mills had shut down by the same period last season.
Sugar production for the 2024-25 season in Maharashtra has reached 807.61 lakh quintals (about 80.76 lakh tonnes), a decrease from the 1100.93 lakh quintals produced during the same period last year. As of April 15, mills in the state have crushed 852.34 lakh tonnes of sugarcane, compared to 1073.9 lakh tonnes last season. The state’s overall sugar recovery rate is 9.48%, lower than the 10.25% recovery rate during the same period last year.
Industry experts attribute the early end of the crushing season to lower yields and increased crushing capacity. The reduced sugar production is mainly due to delayed crushing, the diversion of sugarcane for ethanol production, and a decline in yield.
