Kolhapur: As the 2025–26 sugarcane crushing season officially begins on November 1, a total of 214 sugar mills across Maharashtra have submitted applications to the sugar commissioner’s office in Pune seeking approval to start operations. Of these, 107 are cooperative mills and 107 are privately owned, reports The Times of India.
Officials said the approval process for these applications depends on the payment of mandatory deductions per tonne of sugar produced. This year, the state government has introduced two new deductions, ₹5 per tonne to support farmers affected by floods and heavy rain, and another ₹5 per tonne for the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. With these additions, the total deduction per tonne now stands at ₹27.50, including contributions to the Vasantdada Sugar Institute in Manjari.
Sugar commissioner Sanjay Kolte said that all applications would be processed in due course, adding that mills have already cleared their dues and paid the fair and remunerative price (FRP) to farmers for the 2024–25 season. He noted that sugar production this year is estimated at 105 lakh tonnes, with around 20 lakh tonnes expected to be diverted for ethanol manufacturing.
However, continuous rainfall in regions such as Marathwada and western Maharashtra has made harvesting difficult, disrupting both manual and machine-based operations.
