Sugar mills in Maharashtra are resisting the Centre’s push for an early start to the 2026-27 sugarcane crushing season, citing concerns over cane maturity, lower sugar recovery and financial losses. The state government is weighing whether to advance the start by 15 days to October 15 instead of the usual November 1, with chief minister Devendra Fadnavis expected to take the final call.
The proposal has met resistance from several cooperative and private mills. “There is reluctance on the part of the management of both cooperative and private sugar mills in Maharashtra to prepone the crushing season for multiple reasons. Maharashtra’s crushing season generally runs for 150 to 165 days, starting on November 1.
The committee headed by the chief minister will take the final call on the issue soon,” official sources said.
“The sugar mills will have to abide by the decision that the state government takes about the start of the crushing season. Because of the likely impact of the Southwest Monsoon’s withdrawal on cane harvesting, maharashtra State Cooperative Sugar Factories Federation (MSCSFF) vice-chairman Pratap Ohal said many mills were reluctant to begin crushing on October 15. The sugar mills demand that the state government must impress upon the Centre to compensate the mills for the financial losses incurred due to early crushing,” he said.
State sugar commissioner Sanjay Kolte said the government would take the final decision. “We would intimate the management of all 210 cooperative and private sugar mills in the state once the decision is taken,” he said. Former state minister Rajesh Tope, chairman of a cooperative sugar mill in Jalna district, said harvesting before the cane reached full maturity could hurt sugar recovery. Tope said mills would have to follow the state government’s decision but demanded compensation from the Centre for losses arising from early crushing.
