Maharashtra sugar mills step up cane crushing pace
Maharashtra’s sugar season is progressing rapidly, with 191 mills crushing 446.04 lakh tonnes of cane and producing 380.21 lakh quintals of sugar by December 21—far higher than last year. Improved recovery at 8.52% versus 8.20% reflects stronger efficiency and faster operations across key producing regions.
The sugar crushing season in Maharashtra has gathered pace this year, with higher cane crushing and sugar output recorded by December 21 compared with the same period a year ago.
According to official data, 191 sugar mills across the State have crushed 446.04 lakh tonne of sugarcane so far, producing 380.21 lakh quintals of sugar.
This marks a significant improvement over the previous season. By the same date last year, the same number of mills had crushed only 268.67 lakh tonne of sugarcane, yielding 222.82 lakh quintals of sugar. The faster pace of operations this season reflects improved crushing activity across key sugar-producing regions.
The sugar recovery rate has also improved. This season, the average sugar extract percentage stands at 8.52 per cent, compared with 8.20 per cent during the corresponding period last year, indicating better efficiency in cane processing.
Regional operations
Regional data show strong performance in western and central Maharashtra. In the Kolhapur division, 37 operational sugar mills have crushed 98.79 lakh quintals of sugarcane to produce 98.77 lakh quintals of sugar. Pune division, which has 30 operational mills, has reported the highest cane crushing so far, with 109.34 lakh tonne of sugarcane processed to produce 96.02 lakh quintals of sugar.
Solapur division, another major sugar-producing belt, has 43 operational mills. These mills have crushed 94.63 lakh tonne of sugarcane, resulting in sugar production of 72.6 lakh quintals by December 21.
Overall, the data indicate that the current sugar season is progressing at a faster pace than last year, both in terms of cane crushing and sugar recovery, reflecting stronger operational momentum across Maharashtra’s sugar industry.
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Source: The Hindu Businessline
