During the 2024–25 crushing season, sugar mills in Maharashtra earned Rs. 6,378 crore from ethanol sales, as revealed in a high-level ministerial committee meeting held at Mantralaya on Tuesday. The meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, also finalized the policy for the upcoming 2025–26 sugarcane crushing season, which is scheduled to begin on November 1, 2025.
In his address, CM Fadnavis highlighted some significant achievements from the previous season, noting that the state had successfully disbursed 99.06% of the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP). A total of 148 mills met their full payment obligations to farmers, with Rs. 31,301 crore being paid out as FRP, benefiting numerous sugarcane growers.
Approximately 200 sugar mills participated in the 2024–25 season, comprising 99 cooperative mills and 101 private mills.
CM Fadnavis also emphasized the contribution of sugar mills with co-generation capabilities, which exported 298 crore units of electricity, generating an additional Rs. 1,979 crore in revenue.
The committee further discussed strategies to boost mechanized harvesting and enhance co-generation power production to improve both efficiency and sustainability in the sector.
Additionally, the government decided to impose a levy of Rs. 10 per tonne of sugarcane for the Chief Minister’s (CM) Relief Fund and Rs. 5 per tonne to provide assistance to farmers affected by floods.
Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, along with Ministers Girish Mahajan, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, Babasaheb Patil, Dattatray Bharane, Sanjay Shirsat, and senior government officials, attended the meeting.
