With the threat of drought looming over Maharashtra, cane arrears and prices may continue to be a bone of contention between farmers and the state. Representatives of the Sharad Joshi-led Shetkari Sanghatana have urged CM Prithviraj Chavan to issue payment of arrears before the start of the sugar season of 2014-15. The Sanghatana has also demanded cane price of R3,500 per tonne as first advance and the profit suggested by the recommendations of the Swaminathan Committee be given as the final installment.
According to Vitthal Pawar, general secretary of the Sanghatana, the state has been suffering from the vagaries of nature for three years and with mounting bank interests, the payment of final arrear bills to farmers will be of great help.
The sugar commissioner should not forcibly recover fees from factories such as fees for crushing licence, VSI, CM, sugar fund etc, the Sanghatana has suggested, and has urged the state to give bank guarantees to cooperative sugar factories that are shut ( as has been give in three cases), establishing a tribunal over these.
The state government should follow with immediate effect the PDS price of sugar suggested by the Centre at R32 per kg and 40% excess cane should be converted into ethanol, he said. The Sanghatana has said factories should begin crushing from September 1 so that mills have enough time for the job and the season ends by April 15, 2015.
Satellite images of mid-June showing sugarcane acreage across the country were procured by the Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) and after detailed analysis, it was estimated that the total sugarcane acreage in the 2014-15 season would be around 52.30 lakh hectare, which is about 2% less than last year.
This year, cane acreage is likely to go up according to the preliminary estimates given by ISMA. As per the satellite images, sugarcane crop acreage in Maharashtra and Karnataka is higher, even though the acreage in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu is lower.
Overall, it is estimated that even though the area for the 2014-15 sugar season is 2% lower than that in the 2013-14 season, sugarcane availability and the estimated sugar production would be more than the current sugar season.
The higher acreage under sugarcane being seen in Maharashtra is estimated to be about 13% higher over last year. Additionally, with the share of the 18-month crop (i.e. Adsali) and the 15-month crop (i.e. pre-seasonal) being higher than last year, estimated sugar production from Maharashtra could be higher as compared to 77 lakh tonne produced in the 2013-14 season.
