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By:

Rajendra Joshi

3 December 2024 at 9:20:26 am

Centre pushes for early sugarcane crushing

Mills seek special subsidy Kolhapur: Despite an estimated 30-40 lakh tonnes of sugar being available in excess of domestic demand, the Centre is stepping up efforts to keep sugar prices under control. The Union Food Ministry has urged Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka to advance the 2026-27 sugarcane crushing season so that fresh sugar reaches the market before the existing stock is exhausted. Sugar mills, however, say an early start will come at a cost. They are seeking special...

Centre pushes for early sugarcane crushing

Mills seek special subsidy Kolhapur: Despite an estimated 30-40 lakh tonnes of sugar being available in excess of domestic demand, the Centre is stepping up efforts to keep sugar prices under control. The Union Food Ministry has urged Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka to advance the 2026-27 sugarcane crushing season so that fresh sugar reaches the market before the existing stock is exhausted. Sugar mills, however, say an early start will come at a cost. They are seeking special financial assistance to compensate for the likely fall in sugar recovery and the reduction in cane weight that could result from crushing in October. India produced around 280 lakh tonnes of sugar last season. The season began with stocks of nearly 50 lakh tonnes, while annual domestic consumption is estimated at around 280 lakh tonnes. With about 35 lakh tonnes expected to remain in stock by September 30, the Centre wants the new season’s production to start flowing into the market without waiting for the traditional crushing cycle. Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka account for nearly 80 per cent of India’s sugar production. The Union Food Ministry has therefore written to the chief ministers of the three states, asking them to bring forward the start of the 2026-27 crushing season. The push comes against the backdrop of a sharp movement in sugar prices. Ex-mill prices had earlier climbed to around Rs 68 per kg, pushing retail prices close to Rs 80 per kg. Following a series of measures by the Centre, ex-mill prices have since declined to around Rs 41 per kg. Yet, the government is looking at further measures to bring prices down and ensure that stocks move into the market. One such measure has been the approval of imports of one million tonnes of raw sugar. Since initial applications covered only around eight lakh tonnes, the Centre has invited applications for the remaining quota. It has also reduced the permissible stockholding limit for traders from 400 tonnes to 200 tonnes. The next major point of discussion will be the meeting convened by Union Food and Public Distribution Secretary Sanjeev Chopra with the sugar industry in New Delhi on September 8. The secretaries of Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka have also been invited. West Indian Sugar Mills Association (WISMA) president B. B. Thombre said the Centre was pushing for crushing to begin around the middle of October. Traditionally, most mills in Maharashtra begin operations around November 15, largely because sugarcane harvesting labour becomes available only after Diwali. The industry is, however, willing to explore an early start between October 20 and 25. But early crushing could have significant implications. According to Thombre, sugar recovery could fall by around 1.5 percentage points, while the weight of sugarcane supplied by farmers could decline by 10-15 per cent. The industry will therefore seek special assistance for cane crushed between October 15 and November 15. At the September 8 meeting, it plans to demand a subsidy of Rs 500 per tonne for sugar mills and Rs 300 per tonne directly for sugarcane farmers.

BJP apprehensive of Marathi-Muslim vote bloc

Mumbai: The strategic reunion of the Thackeray cousins marks a pivotal shift in Mumbai’s political landscape, forcing the BJP-led Mahayuti to reconsider its path toward controlling the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). At the heart of the BJP’s concern is the emergence of a Marathi-Muslim voting bloc, a demographic alliance that mirrors the potent ‘Muslim-Yadav’ formula famously utilised by Lalu Prasad Yadav in Bihar. Internal assessments suggest that this cross-community alignment could influence as many as 43 seats in the city. While the BJP traditionally struggles to capture the Muslim vote, the real danger to their campaign lies in the possibility of the Muslim community voting tactically for the Shiv Sena (UBT) to prevent a BJP victory.


The formalisation of the alliance between Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray has fundamentally altered the math in 36 core ‘Marathi’ seats. Previously, the BJP had hoped that a split in the Marathi vote between various factions would allow their candidates to sail through. However, the unified ‘Brand Thackeray’ appeal now threatens to consolidate these votes under a single banner.


Sigh Of Relief

Interestingly, BJP surveys had previously indicated that if Raj Thackeray had joined Eknath Shinde’s faction, the impact would have been even more severe, potentially affecting 45 seats. While the current UBT-MNS pairing offers a slight ‘sigh of relief’ in that regard, it remains a formidable obstacle to the Mahayuti’s target of 178 seats.


Further complicating the situation is the stance of the City Congress unit, which recently severed ties with the Shiv Sena (UBT). This move was largely driven by the fear that their core Muslim support base would be alienated by an association with the MNS. The BJP’s strategy has involved highlighting this tension. City BJP Chief Ameet Satam famously warned that a UBT victory would result in the city having a ‘Khan’ as its Mayor. This was a clear attempt to polarize the electorate and pull Marathi voters away from the Thackeray camp.


Marathi Mayor

However, Raj Thackeray’s assurance at today’s press conference that the city will have a ‘Marathi Mayor’ from the UBT-MNS alliance has provided a counter-narrative. This statement serves two purposes. Firstly, it reassures the Marathi heartland of the alliance’s priorities, and secondly it gives the BJP a new rhetorical tool. The BJP now intends to use Raj Thackeray’s ‘Marathi-first’ rhetoric to suggest to Muslim voters that the alliance does not truly represent their interests, hoping this will cause them to reconsider their tactical support for the Shiv Sena (UBT).


As the January 15 elections approach, the success of the Mahayuti depends on whether they can break this budding Marathi-Muslim coalition or if the “Thackeray Factor” will successfully bridge the gap between these historically disparate voting blocs.


Seat Sharing

A senior BJP leader, while commenting on the UBT-MNS alliance asked as to why the seat-sharing formula was not declared by the two leaders, and went on to reveal the answer. According to him, the Shiv Sena (UBT) is worried as to how many seats the Shiv Sena under Eknath Shinde gets to contest and knows well that Shinde won’t settle for anything less than what the MNS gets. The BJP leader said that the MNS is asking for 80 seats and if that number is revealed, the BJP will have to leave as many seats to Shiv Sena. It’ll be better for the BJP.


Their track record is of corruption and self-interest. Their alliance is for their own political survival and it will not make any significant political difference. It is childish if anyone thinks otherwise. People will not get swayed. The television news channels were reporting as if it was the Russia-Ukaine alliance. Thackerays are not the lone representatives of Marathi people and Mumbai.

Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister

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