Despite having 40% more sugarcane cultivation area,Uttar Pradeshhas been outperformed byMaharashtra in sugar productionbecoming the “largestsugarproducing state in the country”, according to a recent report of the directorate of economics and statistics in the Union ministry of Agriculture-notes-for-state-psc-exams”>Agriculture and farmers welfare.
Maharashtra has been maximising production due to better management of Resources, proper utilisation of the mills’ crushing capacity and enhanced recovery rate, the report said.
The report also suggests that the country’s totalsugar productionhas gone up by 7 lakh tonnes from 358 lakh tonnes in 2021-22 to 365 lakh tonnes in the current crushing season. This increase has been estimated despite a rise in sugarcane diversion for ethanol production and other activities by 11 lakh tonnes in the current year, compared to last season.
As per the report, the sugarcane cultivation area in Uttar Pradesh in 2021-22 was on a par with 23.1 lakh hectares while it had produced about 102 lakh tonnes of sugar. On the other hand,Maharashtraproduced 137 lakh tonnes of sugar with cane crop cultivated in 13.5 lakh hectares, less by around 42% compared to UP.
As the farmers in UP sowed over 90% of the sugarcane crop in spring to harvest it in October-November after its Growth of 8 to 9 months, it was not so rich in juice.