India, Sept. 10 -- Concerned over sugar scarcity amid the recent price surge, the state government on Wednesday directed sugar factories to start the crushing season on October 15. The government disregarded reservations from industry experts who argued that delaying the start until November 1 would allow the sugarcane to fully ripen, yielding better output and higher financial returns for farmers.

Maharashtra is expected to produce 96 lakh metric tonne of sugar in the upcoming season.

The government's decision comes on the back of a 40% rise in sugar prices in August, following which the central government decided to import 10 lakh metric tonne of the commodity and asked sugar-producing states - Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra -- to hast...