Cane crushing picks up in Maharashtra, UP, Karnataka

After a delayed start following the controversy over cane pricing issue, sugarcane crushing for the 2013-14 season has picked up. More mills have begun operations in the key producing states of Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka.DowntrendHowever, sugar production is down 50 per cent at 24.24 lakh tonnes as on December 15 against the corresponding period a year ago.Some 426 sugar mills have started crushing cane against 457 mills last year, according to the Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA). Maharashtra has crushed 128 lakh tonnes to produce 12 lakh tonnes of sugar, down 35 per cent compared with last year.About 150 mills have started operations against 155 mills last year, of which 56 are in the private sector.In 2012-13 season that ended in September, about 170 mills crushed 70 million tonnes of cane to produce 80 lakh tonne sugar.