UP sugar mills to advance crushing by a month to boost supply

The state reported bumper sugar production at 8.2 million tonnes for 2016-17

Large sugar mills in Uttar Pradesh have decided to begin crushing in October this year, almost a month ahead of schedule, to boost supply of the sweetener and control shifting of cane supply to jaggery and khandsari units.

Normally, sugar mills in UP start the crushing activity in early to mid-November due to late maturing of standing cane. The mills in western Karnataka and Maharashtra, on the other hand, begin crushing by mid-October with early variety of cane.

The Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA), the apex industry body, has found after a survey of its member mills, that large sugar