Mumbai: Three major sugar processing plants have officially eliminated the use of bullock labour from their supply chains in a milestone shift for Maharashtra and Karnataka's sugar industry. These sugar mills have joined the ‘100% Bull-Free’ movement by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India.
The move marks a pivotal moment for Maharashtra’s sugar industry, where traditional haulage has long relied on draught animals. In the latest addition, Karnataka's Maragur-based Shri Bhimashankar Sahakari Sakkare Karkhane became the first cooperative sugar mill to achieve the status, along with Solapur-based Utopian Sugars Ltd. and Sangli-based ND Patil Sugars Pvt. Ltd., all of them being awarded the “100% Bull-Free” certification by PETA India. These mills joined earlier certified pioneers Jai Hind Sugar Pvt. Ltd. and Lokmangal Mauli Mill Ltd.
Mechanisation Replaces Traditional Bullock Transport
According to PETA India, the transition reflects an evolving global and domestic marketplace as Indian and international sugar buyers increasingly prioritise ethically sourced, animal-free and fully mechanised supply chains. To meet these standards, mills have aligned with the Sugarcane Industry Mechanisation Project, an initiative led by the Maharashtra-based NGO Animal Rahat. The project works directly with sugar facilities to replace animal-drawn transport with mechanised alternatives like tractors, effectively retiring working bulls from heavy haulage.
PETA India's senior manager of corporate projects, Dr. Kiran Ahuja, said, "An ever-growing number of sugar mills are choosing mechanised sugarcane transportation, demonstrating that compassionate and efficient practices can go hand in hand. PETA India’s bull-free certification helps buyers identify sugar produced without the use of bull labour and celebrates mills leading this positive change."
Animal Welfare Concerns Drive Change
For decades, the harvest season across Maharashtra has involved harsh working conditions for both animals and migrant transport workers. Animal welfare organisations have highlighted that bulls forced to pull heavy sugarcane carts routinely carry up to double the legal weight limit. To maintain control under oppressive heat, handlers often resort to painful instruments, including sharp cylindrical spikes, nail-studded devices, barbed wire and restrictive nose ropes.
Mechanisation Benefits Workers And Mills
According to PETA India, bulls are highly social herd animals that experience acute distress when isolated or overworked under minimal shelter without adequate food, water or rest. Moreover, migrant families traveling to the sugar belt during harvest face extreme economic instability, hazardous working conditions and round-the-clock manual labour tied to managing working animals.
The NGO highlighted that eliminating the use of bullock carts is not only humane but also a practical and profitable decision. By replacing bullock carts with tractors and trucks, sugar mills allow bulls to retire, eliminate animal abuse, improve transport efficiency and safety, and enhance the income and working conditions for families involved in sugarcane transport. Each tractor can transport upto 18 tons per trip and can replace multiple bulls, giving owners valuable time to explore other income opportunities.
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