Sugar market glut, farmers' outstanding to lead to a bitter season in UP

UP's mills, dominated by the private sector's 94 units, have already expressed their inability to participate in the next crushing season

Domestic sugar market glut, farmers’ outstanding of about Rs 170 billion along with bumper sugarcane crop for the next crushing season of 2018-19 are all pointing towards an impending crisis ridden sugar cycle.

In this backdrop, the Yogi Adityanath government has directed mills to start their crushing operations early (from October 15). For this, units in western UP have been asked to take the lead.

Of the total arrears of Rs 170 billion, UP mills, totalling 119, owe the highest amount of about Rs 112 billion, followed by Maharashtra at Rs 11 billion. 

UP’s mills, dominated by the private sector’s