Pune: According to the media report, sugarcane farmers in some parts of Maharashtra are selling their canes to mills in Karnataka as the mills in the region are closing operations.
As many as 101 sugar mills out of 188 have stopped crushing operations as the crushing season is nearing an end.
According to the news report published in Thehindubusinessline.com, with many mills in parts bordering Maharashtra closing operations, the farmers fear whether their canes on their field would be crushed at all.
A farmer from Satara said, “The mills have increased the crushing capacity to ensure that all the cane grown in the zone is crushed. The elections for directors of mills are on cards in some mills. However, the issue of excess cane in the region will persist and we will have to find other mills for crushing our cane.”
As the fear of lockdown is looming, cane harvesters are packing up to return home and many have left for home and many mills are cutting cane with harvesting machines.
West Indian Sugar Mills Association (WISMA) has assured farmers that mills will not close operations till all the cane grown in fields is harvested.
