sugar production | Maharashtra lags behind in sugar production, this state made a record

FILE- PHOTO Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh has overtaken Maharashtra in sugar production in the 2022-23 crushing season, with 210 sugar mills operating in Maharashtra this season as against 118 sugar mills operating in the state. I was in Uttar Pradesh’s sugarcane development and sugar mill affairs minister Laxmi Narayan Chowdhary told PTI, “As far as sugar production is concerned, Uttar Pradesh is ahead of Maharashtra along with many other factors.” Elaborating further, Chaudhary said, “The total sugar produced by Uttar Pradesh in the sugar season 2022-23 is 107.29 lakh tonnes (which includes 3.05 lakh tonnes of Khandsari), while Maharashtra has produced 105.30 lakh tonnes of sugar. The area under sugarcane cultivation in Uttar Pradesh is 28.53 lakh hectares (highest in India) as compared to 14.87 lakh hectares in Maharashtra. The crushing season is from October to June. “Sugarcane production in Uttar Pradesh stood at 2,348 lakh tonnes, while it was 1,413 lakh tonnes in Maharashtra,” Chowdhary said. He said that in the 2022-23 season, the total sugarcane crushing by sugar mills in Uttar Pradesh was 1,084.57 lakh tonnes, while it was 1,053 lakh tonnes in Maharashtra. The minister said that in Uttar Pradesh, 19.84 lakh tonnes of sugar was converted into ethanol, while in Maharashtra, the figure was only 15.70 lakh tonnes. Referring to the number of sugar mills established in both the states, he said that the number of sugar mills established in Uttar Pradesh is 157 as compared to 246 sugar mills established in Maharashtra. He said that 210 sugar mills are operational in Maharashtra as compared to 118 in Uttar Pradesh. He said that Rs 28,494.32 crore has already been paid to farmers in 2022-23 season and there are about 80 sugar mills which have made 100 per cent payment within a week of shutdown. Chowdhary said that under the directions and priorities of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, sugar mills have paid Rs 2,11,700 crore (to farmers) in the last six years. During the tenure of previous governments, 12 sugar mills were sold, while 18 sugar mills were closed. He said that after the formation of the BJP government in the state in 2017, we have opened new mills and increased the capacity of some mills. Launching his attack on the previous governments, Chowdhary said, “During the Bahujan Samaj Party’s rule (from 2007 to 2012), sugarcane farmers were paid Rs 93,000 crore, while the Samajwadi Party’s government (from 2012 to 2017) Around Rs 95,215 crore was paid.” The Sugarcane Development Minister emphasized that in Uttar Pradesh, the amount that the farmer earns by selling all his produce, the same amount comes into the farmer’s bank account by selling sugarcane alone. He also said that instructions have been issued to the sugar mills to remain operational till June 15. Meanwhile, when contacted, Maharashtra Cooperation Minister Atul Moreshwar Save told PTI, “This year sugarcane production was low, so less quantity of sugarcane reached the sugar mills as compared to last year and hence the difference.” However, the capacity of sugar mills will increase next year.”