The crushing for sugar season 2018-19 started on time. As on 15th November 2018, 238 sugar mills were already crushing sugarcane, as compared to 349 sugar mills which were crushing sugarcane last year on 15th November 2017.
Sugar production as on 15th November 2018 was 11.63 lakh tonnes, as compared to 13.73 lakh tonnes produced as on 15th November 2017.
Most of the sugar mills in U.P. started in the first half of November 2018, whereas 38 mills had started crushing in October last year. Due to the late start, U.P. sugar mills have produced 1.76 lakh tonnes of sugar upto 15th November 2018 as against 5.67 lakh tonnes produced last year till 15th November 2017. 71 sugar mills were crushing sugarcane as on 15th November 2018, as against 78 sugar mills last year same time.
In case of Maharashtra, sugar mills started their crushing operations earlier this year, in latter part of October. Accordingly, as on 15th November 2018, though only 108 mills were in operation, they produced 6.31 lakh tonnes of sugar. Last year, sugar mills started crushing late than usual, from 5th November only, because of which as on 15th November 2017, even though 160 mills were in operation, they produced 3.26 lakh tonnes only as on 15th November 2017.
In Karnataka, 36 sugar mills were in operation as on 15thNovember 2018 and produced 1.85 lakh tonnes, as compared to 59 mills who had produced 3.71 lakh tonnes last year on the corresponding period.
There were 14 sugar mills in operation in Gujarat as on 15th November 2018 and these mills have produced 1.05 lakh tonnes till that date. However, last year in the same period, 15 mills had produced only 80,000 tons of sugar.
Four sugar mills in Tamil Nadu have started crushing till 15thNovember 2018 and they produced 60,000 tonnes of sugar. Last year, 6 mills were operating, which produced 17000 tonnes till 15thNovember 2017.
