New Delhi: Flood and drought situation in Maharashtra will hamper the country’s sugar production calculation in season 2019-2020. According to the reports, sugar output in the country is forecasted at 28-29 million tonnes. Whereas in season 2018-2019, mills in India produced 33.1 million tonnes of sugar. The country is likely to witness a decline of 12.38 per cent in sugar production this season.
A senior Food Ministry official while talking to a news agency said, “Sugar production of 28-29 million tonnes is estimated after taking inputs from the sugarcane producing states.”
Heavy rain in Pune, Sangli, Satara and Kolhapur districts, the sugar belt of Maharashtra, have majorly hit the sugarcane crops. Also, the deficient rainfall in 2018 resulted in a severe drought in Maharashtra. It has led to a scarcity of fodder and water for animals. Therefore, farmers have uprooted sugarcane in the severely drought-affected regions of Maharashtra to feed their animals. This has affected the sugarcane output.
Few mills in India already started crushing operations, whereas others will commence soon.
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