Maharashtra and Gujarat are among the states where a significant portion of sugar production happens through cooperatives.... Patil warned that the" misinformation" could potentially disrupt sugar sales, particularly among major buyers who might be pressured to avoid purchasing sugar from Maharashtra and Gujarat.... In Maharashtra and Gujarat, manual harvesting remains prevalent, with skilled workers supplied by middlemen called “ mokadams ”, who are responsible for recruiting and transporting

Former Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar on Tuesday asked sugar mills to diversify into other products like ethanol and CNG to deal with surplus production of sweetener as well as modernise their manufacturing plants.He also urged sugar mills to improve the system of marketing and reduce manufacturing costs to bring efficiency in their businesses. Pawar, who is also the chief of the Nationalist Congress Party( NCP), welcomed the relief given by the Centre to cooperative sugar mills for las

By Anant Chandak BENGALURU( Reuters)-Inflation in India was likely to have eased in August from a 15-month high in July, led by cooling vegetable prices, but held above the upper end of the Reserve Bank of India's 2%-6% target for a second month, a Reuters poll found.... Erratic monsoon rains have ruined some crops of staple food items, prompting the government to subsidise vegetable prices and ban exports of some cereals, providing temporary relief to households.... 4-7 Reuters poll of 45 eco