After a gap of practically 5 years, Maharashtra has overtaken Uttar Pradesh (UP) in sugar production. The state crossed the one hundred lakh tonne-mark by the finish of March, as against UP’s 96 lakh tonne.
Maharashtra is anticipated to create 105-107 lakh tonne of sugar, though production in UP is anticipated to touch 105 lakh tonne at the finish of the season.
Industry watchers mentioned the neck-and-neck race could continue for this season and the next as effectively.
Prakash Naiknavare, MD, National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories, mentioned UP had overtaken Maharashtra due to the fact of the Co-0238 cane selection. “This variety was introduced in 2012 and almost the entire sugar sector in UP, especially the private sector, picked it up. Therefore, UP produced more sugar than Maharashtra from 2016-17 till 2019-20,” he mentioned.
“This variety gave UP mills’ better tonnage and more recovery. Moreover, at almost 23 lakh hectares, UP has double the area under cane cultivation than the 10-11 lakh hectares in Maharashtra,” Naiknavare mentioned.
The distinction among the states is that UP has quite a few khandsari and gur (jaggery) units and at least 30-40% of cane is diverted, he mentioned, adding that no genuine figures are readily available given that this is an unorganised sector.
Any cane selection does not give outcomes beyond six to eight years and consequently, the production in UP is on the downslide, he mentioned. The crop has grow to be susceptible to red rot and recovery and tonnage has gone down. “The UP government has taken a decision to allow gur factories at a 10 km radius and cane has been diverted for ethanol and khandsari,” he mentioned.
Naiknavare mentioned UP will continue to dominate as the water table in UP is superior and its irrigation is by means of tube wells, as opposed to Maharashtra, which is dependent on rain.
Maharashtra sugar commissioner Shekhar Gaikwad mentioned the state’s production has exceeded that of UP due to the fact productivity has gone up to 6-7 tonne per hectare due to superior rains in the final couple of seasons. Moreover, the red rot illness is afflicting cane in UP, he mentioned. The commissioner mentioned a number of grape farmers in Maharashtra are switching to sugar cane due to timely payments to farmers. He mentioned the Maharashtra will continue to exceed in production in the coming season as effectively.
Abhinash Verma, director common, Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA), mentioned that as per ISMA estimates, each UP and Maharashtra are anticipated to create about 105 lakh tonne of sugar this season. The diversion of sugar cane towards khandsari and gur is more in UP than in Maharashtra and each states are probably to divert practically 6.5 lakh tonne of cane towards ethanol production, he mentioned.
By the season-finish, each states could either be on a par or have a distinction of a couple of tonnes, he mentioned, adding that it will be also early to attain to conclusions concerning cane varieties at this point. This could be an aberration year for UP as there has been pest infestation due to rainwater stagnation in cane fields, he added.