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'''Sugarcane''' is the primary cash crop among farmers of the western [[Maharashtra]] region. The sugarcane is mostly sold to sugar mills for sugar production. Majority of these mills are cooperatives owned by the sugarcane growers. Solapur district has highest number of sugar factories in Maharashtra.

==History==

[[File:Sugarcane weighing at sugarmill.jpg|thumb|250px|Sugarcane weighing at a Cooperative Sugar mill in [[Maharashtra]], India.]]
The cooperative movement for the [[sugar industry]] started in the 1960s in Maharashtra with the announcement of 12 places in the state where sugar factories could be established.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://frontline.thehindu.com/static/html/fl2208/stories/20050422000804300.htm|title=A movement in decline|website=frontline.thehindu.com|access-date=2019-06-03}}</ref> The then [[Bombay]] state government announced a capital share of one million rupees to establish sugar factories at these potential 12 places. A central committee was formed by Bombay State Cooperative Bank under the chairmanship of economist [[Dhananjayrao Gadgil]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pgspcf.org/pdf/august/print/5.pdf|title=www.pgspcf.org|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927150535/http://www.pgspcf.org/pdf/august/print/5.pdf|archivedate=27 September 2013|url-status=dead|accessdate=24 September 2013}}</ref>
Asia's first cooperative sugar factory<ref>{{cite web|author=Padmashri Dr. Vithalrao Vikhe Patil Foundation |url=http://www.pdvvpfa.org/inspiration.php |title=Inspiration – Padmashri Dr. Vithalrao Vikhe Patil Foundation |website=Pdvvpfa.org |date= |accessdate=2016-02-28}}</ref> was established at Pravaranagar in the [[Ahmednagar District]] of the then [[Bombay state]] in 1950 by [[Vithalrao Vikhe Patil]], & Gadgil. The sugar mill, called Pravara Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana Ltd, had majority ownership by the local farmers.

==Sugar cooperatives and State politics==
Over the last sixty years, the local sugar mills have played a crucial part in encouraging rural political participation and as a stepping stone for aspiring politicians.<ref>{{cite web|last=Patil |first=Anil |url=http://www.rediff.com/money/2007/jul/09sugar.htm |title=Sugar cooperatives on death bed in Maharashtra |publisher=Rediff India |date=9 July 2007 |accessdate=27 December 2011}}</ref> In [[Maharashtra]] there are a large number of politicians belonging to the [[Indian National Congress|Congress]] or [[Nationalist Congress Party|NCP]] with ties to sugar cooperatives from their respective local areas.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Lalwani|first=Mala|title=Sugar Co-operatives in Maharashtra: A Political Economy Perspective|journal=The Journal of Development Studies|year=2008|volume=44|issue=10|pages=1474–1505|url=http://www.mu.ac.in/arts/social_science/eco/pdfs/vibhuti/wp21.pdf|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140117005640/http://www.mu.ac.in/arts/social_science/eco/pdfs/vibhuti/wp21.pdf|archivedate=17 January 2014|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Unfortunately, mismanagement and manipulation of the cooperative principles has made a number of these operations inefficient.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.helsinki.fi/iehc2006/papers2/Das72.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=14 December 2016 |archive-date=24 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924051908/http://www.helsinki.fi/iehc2006/papers2/Das72.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Present scenario==
At present there are 173 cooperative sugar factories<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mahasugarfed.org/Reports/memberfactories.aspx |title=Maharashtra State Co-Operative Sugar Factories Federation Ltd.: Member Factories |website=Mahasugarfed.org |date= |accessdate=2016-02-28}}</ref> in operation. Maharashtra accounts for 20% of [[Sugar industry in India|sugar production in India]] behind Uttar Pradesh at 24%.<ref>Mohanasundaram, P., 2015. PROFITABILITY PERFORMANCE OF SELECTED SUGAR COMPANIES IN INDIA: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY. Asia Pacific Journal of Research Vol: I. Issue XXVI.[http://apjor.com/downloads/020620159.pdf]</ref> The presence of this industry has led to development of rural places, from which the sugarcane is drawn to factories, including an improved road network, transportation facilities, medical facilities, education facilities, and banking.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://coopsugar.org/history.php |title=National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories Limited |publisher=Coopsugar.org |date= |accessdate=27 December 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120205214802/http://coopsugar.org/history.php |archive-date=5 February 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Sugar mills in Maharashtra produced just over 100,000 tons of sugar in 2017-18 season, however the glut in global sugar production and the subsequent price crash has led to sugar factories not being able to pay the farmers to the tune of 20 billion rupees (US $300 million).<ref>{{cite news |last1=Jain |first1=Bhavika |title=Fadnavis demands concessions for the sugar industry from Centre |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/fadnavis-demands-concessions-for-the-sugar-industry-from-centre/articleshow/64625051.cms |accessdate=3 June 2019 |issue=June 17, 2018 |publisher=Times of India |date=2018}}</ref>

==See also==
[[Cooperative movement in India]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Agriculture in Maharashtra]]
[[Category:Cooperatives in Maharashtra]]
[[Category:Indian sugar industry]]
[[Category:Sugar refineries]]
[[Category:Agricultural cooperatives in India]]
[[Category:1960s establishments in Maharashtra]]

Cooperative sugar factories in Maharashtra - Revision history

UpdateBot at 16:10, 16 February 2022