Sixty per cent of sugar mills in India are located in ____ and ______.

Correct option is A

• Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are the two leading states in India for sugarcane production and, as a result, home to a significant proportion of the country’s sugar mills.
• Uttar Pradesh accounts for around 40-45% of the total sugar production in India, while Bihar is also a major contributor.
• Together, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar account for nearly 60% of the sugar mills in the country, largely due to the fertile plains of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers, which provide ideal conditions for sugarcane cultivation.
  

• Sugar Industry in India: India is the second-largest sugar producer globally, with states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Maharashtra leading production.
• Sugarcane: Sugarcane is a major cash crop in India, primarily grown in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Maharashtra.
• Ethanol Production: India focuses on ethanol production from sugarcane to promote biofuels and reduce dependency on fossil fuels.
• Environmental Impact: The sugar industry faces challenges like water-intensive farming, soil depletion, and pollution from sugarcane burning.
  

• Bihar and West Bengal: While Bihar is a major contributor to sugar production, West Bengal doesn’t have as many sugar mills as Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
• Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh: Karnataka is another important state for sugarcane production, but it doesn’t have the largest share of sugar mills in combination with Uttar Pradesh compared to Bihar.
• Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh: While Karnataka is significant in sugar production, Madhya Pradesh does not contribute as much to the sugar industry compared to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.