A sugar industry in Mahottari district has reported a decline in sugar production ratio, likely due to insufficient rainfall this year.

Everest Sugar Industry in Gaushala Municipality-1 confirmed a decline in sugar production ratio this year compared to the previous year.

According to the industry’s General Manager, Surendra Shukla, the factory produced 8.72 kg of sugar per quintal of sugarcane in the current fiscal year, down from 9.11 kg last year.

Everest Sugar Industry crushed 3.1 million quintals of sugarcane this year, producing 270,588 quintals of sugar. Last year, it processed 2.9 million quintals of sugarcane and produced 264,591 quintals of sugar. The industry fell short of its target, crushing about 400,000 quintals less sugarcane than planned.

Shukla stated that the reason for the decline in the sugar extraction ratio is under investigation.

Meanwhile, farmers believe that insufficient rainfall may have affected sugar production. Mahendra Mahato, a farmer from Pashupatinagar in Bardibas Municipality-9, suggested that the lack of rain during winter and low rainfall in the monsoon could have contributed to the lower yield.

Everest Sugar Industry had aimed to crush 3.5 million quintals of sugarcane and produce 315,000 quintals of sugar this year. However, due to a shortage of sugarcane, the target is unlikely to be met, Shukla said. -- RSS