top of page

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.

Sibling love blooms for six decades in Worli

India’s tallest Christmas Tree touches skies, hearts

Douglas Saldanah with India's tallest, 72-feet high, Christmas Tree in Worli.
Douglas Saldanah with India's tallest, 72-feet high, Christmas Tree in Worli.

Mumbai: On a quiet by-lane in Worli, hemmed in by concrete towers and the ceaseless beats of Mumbai, rises a breath-taking spectacle that makes people stop in their tracks.  


A towering Pine Conifer, glowing with more than 12,000 twinkling fairy lights, smiling angels, glittering reindeers and lots of cotton snow, stretches 72 feet into the night sky – almost equal to a 7-storied building – the most famous ‘rooted resident’ of the area. 


By record books and repute, it is ranked “India’s tallest naturally growing, fully decorated, Christmas Tree” and by spirit, it is a living monument to love, loss and the lasting faith of a brother and sister. 


The lofty tree nestles in a modest garden at Adarsh Nagar, a private residential society, and belongs to Douglas Saldanha, 64, a soft-spoken financial consultant, who has reverently tended it for over 52 years. 


Joys And Sorrows

The story of the tree is entwined with the joys and sorrows of the Saldanhas – the deceased parents Henry (87) and Grace (86), their children Twila (died 2005) and now Douglas. They moved from Mangalore to Mumbai decades ago, and it was here that this enchanting tree entered their lives almost by accident. 


Saldanha recalls how in 1973, a neighbour was grappling to manage a five-foot sapling looming awkwardly on his verandah, and quickly offered to sell it for Rs 250 to the thrilled Douglas, 12, and his sister Twila, 14. 


“We both carefully replanted it in the ground outside the verandah of our home, watered it daily, watched it, and felt pleased as it majestically stretched horizontally and vertically season after season, like a shared childhood dream,” Saldanha told ‘The Perfect Voice’. 


Enchanting Spectacle

Weeks before December 25, the Saldanha siblings would transform it into an enchanting spectacle - streamers and bells, shiny baubles, cherubic angels, tiny crosses, snowmen and a smiling Santa, topping it with a large star.


Awestruck neighbours, friends and relatives joined in to spread joy and laughter, and as the three grew in stature, so did the scale of celebrations and life continued happily. 


Sparing no efforts or expenses, every year he strung thousands of lights higher and wider, increasing as the tree’s height and girth increased, the cherubs seem to hover in mid-air; a cheerful Santa waving from a shiny flying sleigh perched on a mound of soft cotton snow, enthralling the visitors. 


“Absolute strangers came in droves to marvel at the masterpiece, clicked selfies or photos, many were moved to learn of the story behind the tree, and departed as lifelong friends. The Christmas tree exudes warmth, love and peace that attracts all,” commented Saldanha.


For the Saldanha family, the tree apparently worked other miracles. Henry Saldanha, a retired engineer survived multiple cancers in the prostate and cheek, five heart attacks, an open heart surgery and seven other major surgeries before going to meet his Lord in 2017, aged 87; in 2022 his wife Grace followed suit, aged 86 - leaving Douglas as the sole guardian angel of the three.


As he spent a major part of his youth caring for his parents and nurturing the family tree, Saldanha, a financial consultant for a MNC, chose to remain a bachelor: “I just wanted to be a good son,” was his simple, shrugging and smiling refrain.

Comments

bottom of page