"The combined sugar production from over 100 co-operative mills would cross 55 lakh tonnes mark during the crushing season this year, the state agriculture minister Radha Krisha Vikhe Patil said on Friday.

The sugar mills produced about 34 lakh tonnes of sugar last year, the minister said. These mills are looking for commercial exploitation of waste generated during the manufacturing process, Patil said. About nine of them are firming up details of baggase- based power co-generation projects, the minister said.

These projects would be on display at `Agro-advantage Maharashtra', the global investors' convention to be held in Mumbai next month, Patil said.The state government is giving finishing touches to the new agriculture policy which would be announced before the commencement of agro-exposition, Patil said.

Underthe proposed policy corporates may be given government -owned farm land measuring 15,000 hectares to on lease. The proposed project if okayed is likely to boost production through hi-tech and scientific farming, experts d from the field said.