Ethanol seems to encourage the sugar factories to increase the cane crushing, as 149 mills in Maharashtra have produced 109 lakh quintal sugar. An official said it's within a fortnight of the beginning of the crushing season this year.

The Centre of ethanol allowed sugar mills to produce ethanol directly from sugarcane juice. Earlier when there was a restriction on using molasses as a base. The Union government had decided to allow the use of the old stock of wheat and rice for ethanol production that can be blended with petrol and diesel. Maharashtra Sugar Commissioner Shekhar Gaikwad said, "The mills this year have decided to produce a certain quantity of ethanol to be sold in the domestic market. It means that there will not be any glut of sugar in the market. There will be limited surplus stock of it this year." The Centre has drifted tenders which supply of 350 crore litres of ethanol to be blended with vehicle fuel. The data shared by his office showed that 149 mills in Maharashtra have crushed 131 lakh tonne sugarcane so far and produced 109 lakh quintal sugar. The crushing season initiates in mid-November and lasts till March next year.

The figures showed up in data by the end of the season last year, 147 mills- 79 cooperative and 68 private- had crushed 545.26 lakh tonnes of sugarcane and produced 66.61 lakh tonne sugar. This year, 79 cooperatives and 70 private mills have started cane crushing and produced 109 lakh quintal sugar.

Also Read:-

RBI proposal a good looking step in bad direction, Ex-World Bank economist

India stands at No:8, most impacted by Terrorism, Global Terrorism Index 2020

Iran sees 'arch-enemy' Israel in killing of prominent Iranian nuclear scientist