Maharashtra sugar mills on fire, crushed record sugar cane

PUNE: Maharashtra sugar mills crushed highest ever quantity of sugar cane in the history of the state's sugar industry. Maharashtra sugar mills have crushed 800 lakh tonne sugar cane till Saturday, surpassing the state's earlier record of 798.49 lakh tonne sugar cane in 2006-07. But the state could not break the target of highest sugar production due to a fall in the recovery.

Maharashtra sugar mills have crushed 801 lakh tonne sugar cane till June 18 and produced 904 lakh quintal (90.4 million quintal) sugar at a sugar recovery rate of 11.28%. The state that ranks first in sugar production in the country, had crushed 798.49 lakh tonne sugar cane and produced 909.47 lakh (90.94 million quintal) sugar at the recovery rate of 11.39%.

The sugar recovery in the current sugar year October-September 2011 is less by 0.11 % as compared to the best sugar production year of 2006-07. The growth of the cane was stunted due as it pre-matured due to the unseasonal rainfall. There was delay in the crushing activity picking up pace due to delayed rainfall and wet fields.

source: ET