Margur’s Shri Bhimashankar Sahakari Sakkare Karkhane, Solapur’s Utopian Sugars Ltd. and Sangli’s ND Patil Sugars Pvt. Ltd. Join the Growing List of PETA India Certified ‘Bull-Free’ Mills
For Immediate Release:
12 August 2026
Contact:
Anushka Yadav; [email protected]
Sanskriti Bansore; [email protected]
Solapur— Shri Bhimashankar Sahakari Sakkare Karkhane Niyamit, Maragur-Dhulkhed, has become the first cooperative sugar mill to join the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals India (PETA India) “100% Bull-Free” certification. The mill is joined by Solapur’s Utopian Sugars Ltd. and Sangli’s ND Patil Sugars Pvt. Ltd. as the latest sugar mills to earn the certification, that recognises sugar mills for fully eliminating or pledging against the use of bull labour from their operations. The first two mills to have joined are Jai Hind Sugar Pvt. Ltd. and Lokmangal Mauli Mill Ltd., both in Solapur district.
The steps taken by these companies respond to the growing demand from international and Indian sugar buyers for animal-free and wholly mechanised sugar-supply systems, driven by animal and human welfare concerns. The certification supports Maharashtra-based NGO Animal Rahat’s Sugarcane Industry Mechanisation Project, which is helping mills transition to mechanised alternatives such as tractors—freeing bulls from the gruelling labour of hauling heavy sugarcane carts.
“We are proud to receive PETA India’s 100% Bull-Free certification,” says Mr Dattajirao Narayanrao Patil, Chairman, ND Patil Sugars Pvt. Ltd. “Mechanisation helps improve efficiency while ensuring sugarcane transport is carried out humanely, without the labour of bulls.”
“This certification reflects our commitment to modern and responsible practices,” says Mr Rohan Prashant Paricharak, Chief Executive Officer, Utopian Sugars Ltd. “We believe progress is at its best when it improves productivity while also helping protect the well-being of animals and workers.”
“An ever-growing number of sugar mills are choosing mechanised sugarcane transportation, demonstrating that compassionate and efficient practices can go hand in hand,” says PETA India Senior Manager of Corporate Projects Dr. Kiran Ahuja. “PETA India’s ‘Bull-Free’ certification helps buyers identify sugar produced without the use of bull labour and celebrates mills leading this positive change. We congratulate Utopian Sugars Ltd. and ND Patil Sugars Pvt. Ltd. on their certification and look forward to many more mills joining this growing movement towards kinder sugar production.”
Bulls are highly social animals who forge deep bonds with other bulls and cows and can become stressed when separated from them. Yet in the sugar industry, bulls endure excruciating conditions, pulling overloaded carts under the blazing hot sun with minimal rest, food, or water. The bulls are often forced to carry up to double the legal weight and are subjected to violent methods of control using nose ropes and sharp tools such as cylindrical spikes, nail-studded spikes, and barbed wire, resulting in frequent injuries.
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, many of whom migrate with bullocks from impoverished areas during the harvest season, and who face a range of difficulties. Each tractor can transport 8 to 18 tons per trip and can replace multiple bulls, giving owners valuable time to explore other income opportunities.
PETA India—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview. For more information, please visit PETAIndia.com or follow PETA India on X, Facebook, or Instagram.
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