ARTICLE 4 #SugarMills

Maharashtra’s sugar mills are facing a serious dilemma as an increasing number of farmers are transporting their sugarcane to neighboring Karnataka for processing.

Sugar mills across several regions are reportedly scaling down the number of procurement centers due to ongoing delays in payments to sugarcane farmers. According to industry sources, mills struggling with liquidity issues have found it increasingly difficult to clear dues to growers on time.

A special meeting of the Sugar Advisory Board was held under the co-chairmanship of Ishaq Dar (Deputy Prime Minister) and the Federal Minister for National Food Security, Rana Tanveer Hussain, to review the sugar market situation, imported sugar stocks and the closure of the S-Track portal.

Sugar mill owners across Pakistan have raised strong objections against government policies, claiming that recent administrative decisions have triggered an unprecedented surge in sugar prices.

A total of 214 sugar mills across Maharashtra have applied to the Sugar Commissioner’s office in Pune for permission to commence sugar-cane crushing from November 1, the official start date for the 2025–26 crushing season.

For ESY 2025-26, the government has issued a tender for about 10.50 billion litres of ethanol supply. In that total, only 289 crore litres (2.89 billion litres) have been allocated to ethanol produced from sugar-based feedstocks (sugarcane juice, B-heavy molasses, etc) — about 28% of the requirement.

New Delhi, 1 November 2025 – The Indian sugar industry has expressed serious concerns over the government’s ethanol policy for the 2025‑26 supply year, warning that the shift towards grain-based feedstocks could threaten sugar mills’ operations and farmer incomes.

Speaking to the media after a meeting with representatives from sugar mills and farmer associations, the Chief Minister said the government is committed to ensuring a fair and profitable price for farmers while maintaining the stability of the sugar industry.

The National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories (NFCSF) has reported that 325 sugar mills across India have commenced crushing operations for the ongoing sugar season.