Sugar mills produce 39.73 lakh tonne sugar by Nov 30

Sugar production till November 30, 2018 in the current 2018-19 sugar season was 39.73 lakh tonnes across India, which was 39.14 lakh tonnes last year on the same date. As compared to 450 sugar mills crushing sugarcane last year by November 30, 415 sugar mills were crushing sugarcane as on the same date this year, Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) has reported.
According to ISMA report, in Maharashtra, 167 sugar mills have started crushing operations and are running in full swing. As on November 30, 2018, these mills have produced 18.05 lakh tonnes, 21 percent higher than the sugar production of last year on the same date.
In Uttar Pradesh, 109 sugar mills were crushing sugarcane on November 30, 2018 and have produced 9.50 lakh tonnes till that date. At the end of November, 2017 last year, 108 sugar mills were crushing sugarcane in the state who had produced 13.11 lakh tonnes. Sugar production this year is slow as compared to last year as in the current season, sugar mills had a delayed start of crushing by a fortnight or so, the sugar mills association has said.
In the state of Karnataka, 63 sugar mills were crushing on November 30, 2018 and 7.93 lakh tonnes of sugar was produced. As compared to this, last year as on November 30, 2017, 62 sugar mills were operating this time who had produced 7.02 lakh tonnes of sugar.
In Gujarat, 16 sugar mills were crushing on November 30, 2018 and they have produced 1.95 lakh tonnes of sugar. Last year on the same date, 17 mills were in operation and they had produced 1.78 lakh tonnes of sugar.
Crushing operations in all the other states have also begun and slowly and slowly the pace of crushing is picking up. About 60 sugar mills are operating in other states who have produced 2.30 lakh tonnes in this season up to November 30, 2018, which in the previous season was 2.35 lakh tonnes, when 91 mills were operating on the same date.