Cane yield to drop 18%

The sugar cane yield in Maharashtra, the country's largest sugar producing state, is likely to decline by 16-18 per cent this year because of unfavourable climate during the crop maturing period.

The fortnightly estimate compiled by the Sugar Commissioner of Maharashtra indicate that the average yield in Maharashtra will slump to 62-63 tonnes per hectare compared with 73 tonnes per hectare during the last sugar season (October - September). But an official with the Sugar Commissioner's office said the situation could improve as this season's fully matured crop was yet to be harvested.

In February, representatives of the government and the state sugar industry hold meetings to assess the crop, the condition of the mills, the payment to farmers and the demand-supply situation. One such meeting is being organised by the government of Maharashtra in Pune on Thursday at the Vasantdada Sugar Institute (VSI), where the representatives are likely to discuss the means and ways to improve crushing.

As on Tuesday, Maharashtra recorded a total crushing of 407 lakh quintals for producing 46.8 lakh quintals of sugar at an average recovery rate of 11.47 per cent. But the average crushing was 40 lakh tonnes less than last year because of the late start to the season.

This year, 166 mills have been permitted by the state government to crush compared with 163 mills last year. All the mills managed to crush at an average of 5 lakh tonnes daily.

According to the official, the total cane available for crushing is likely to decline this year to 760 lakh tonnes compared with 798 lakh tonnes last year and the earlier estimate of 800 lakh tonnes. Out of the 183 sugar mills in the state registered with the government, only 166 have started production this year. Two more mills are in various stages of repairs. The state government last year paid Rs 131 crore as compensation to cane farmers.

Maharashtra produces about 90 lakh tonnes of sugar, but the total output was likely to decline by at least 10 per cent, experts said.

The lower production this season has been attributed to a number of factors, including rain disruptions and the late return of workers from Diwali and Dusshera vacations.

"The mills will have to operate till the last cane arrives for crushing. Therefore, the current sugar season is likely to stretch up to the first week of May," the official added.