Owing to a sugar shortage in the country, the government had planned to start the crushing of sugarcane ahead of the normal schedule- before Diwali (October 19)- but the delay in the monsoon’s retreat has put paid to this plan. According to the sugar industry, heavy rains are again expected in October in Karnataka and Maharashtra- states where the cane crushing starts first- due to the lingering monsoon. It means labourers cannot access the cane fields as they will be muddy during this period. The National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories (NFCSF) has said that the crushing could start from November. There is heavy rain in Karnataka and Maharashtra. Its occurrence in October also will make it impossible for labourers to go into the fields. Due to this, the crushing work is expected to start only in November. However, in case the monsoon recedes completely by mid-October, crushing might start in Karnataka after Diwali. Due to the delay in the monsoon’s retreat, Maharashtra has decided to postpone the cane crushing to November 1.