For the second season in a row, Maharashtra is set to beat Uttar Pradesh to the top spot as the largest sugar producer in the country. Maharashtra is estimated to produce 137 lakh tonnes of sugar compared to Uttar Pradesh’s 102 lakh tonnes.
Uttar Pradesh had over the years been the top sugar producer. A new variety Co023 with higher yields and higher sugar recovery (percentage of sugar produced per tonne of cane crushed) has resulted in this change of scene. Increased production had allowed mills in Uttar Pradesh to corner markets in north and east India, which otherwise were served by mills in Maharashtra.
The table has now turned with the latest estimate by the National Cooperative Sugar Factories Federation fixing Maharashtra’s sugar production at 137 lakh tonnes. Last season, Maharashtra produced 135 lakh tonnes of sugar compared to 100.05 lakh tonnes of Uttar Pradesh. At the national level, India is expected to produce 357 lakh tonnes of sugar compared to 359.25 lakh tonnes last season.
Sanjay Khatal, managing director of the Maharashtra State Cooperative Sugar Factories Federation, said higher cane area was the main reason for higher production. “In the last two seasons, the area of cane has increased and thus more cane was available for crushing,” he said.
After the drought season of 2019-20, when sugar production had dipped to 64 lakh tonnes in the season, two back-to-back years of good rains have seen the cane area in Maharashtra cross 11-13 lakh hectares.
Mills in Maharashtra, Khatal said, have done grassroot level work with their farmers in terms of seed replacement. Proper seed replacement automatically increased per acre yield and given more and more new area has come under cane which has increased per acre yield also.
“If we compare the sugar industry in Uttar Pradesh to Maharashtra, our industry has more ground touch which helps us improve the cultivation practices,” he said.
However, this year, the industry is keeping a close watch on production. Recovery has dipped which can take a toll on production. As of date, while more cane is crushed than last season, sugar production is lower. The real production figure, many say, can be lower than expected but would certainly be higher than that of Uttar Pradesh.