PUNE: The Maharashtra sugar commissionerate is likely to revise its sugar production estimate for the forthcoming crushing season, beginning on October 15, following a prolonged dry spell in the state.
“Unlike in July, when the state received adequate rainfall, there has been a prolonged dry spell since August. This could adversely affect sugarcane and, consequently, sugar production. “Our preliminary estimate, firmed up in July this year, projected sugar production of 112 lakh metric tonnes by crushing 1,000 lakh tonnes of sugarcane.
Officials said the revision had become necessary as the weather situation had changed significantly since the preliminary estimate was prepared. There is a need to revisit the estimate,” a commissionerate source said. But we will revise our estimate before crushing begins,” sugar commissioner Sanjay Kolte said on Friday.
“Since June this year, the rains have been erratic, which has hampered the robust growth of sugarcane needed for sugar production. There is a large section of sugarcane farmers who do not have drip irrigation facilities and are dependent on rains. The state government has advanced the start of the crushing season from November 1 to October 15 to increase sugar availability in the market ahead of the festive season. The decision was taken during a high-level meeting chaired by the state chief minister, Devendra Fadnavis, on September 9.
According to the vice chairman of the Maharashtra State Cooperative Sugar Factories Federation, Pratap Ohol, sugarcane availability could reduce due to a long dry spell in the state.
Kolte said estimates for ethanol production from sugarcane would be finalised later this year. Without proper growth of the sugarcane, the recovery rate (amount of sugar extracted from one ton of sugarcane) could also get adversely impacted,” said Ohol.
