JOIN USMinister urges Centre to purchase sugar from State
Cooperation and Sugar Minister H S Mahadev Prasad criticised the Centre on it’s sugar policy, which has affected sugar factories and sugarcane growers in the State.
A delegation, including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, will visit New Delhi on December 3 to hold discussions with Union Minister Ramvilas Paswan and request him to relax the Centre’s stand, he said.
Addressing a press meet, in Chamarajanagar, on Tuesday, the Minister said, as per the government’s directive all sugar factories in the State have begun crushing activities. They have also been directed to disburse Rs 2,500 per tonne of sugarcane to farmers — Rs 2,300 in the first and the remaining in the second instalment. He said, there is a buffer stock of 22 lakh tonnes of sugar in the State. The Centre should purchase the sugar from the factories, which will help them to pay pending bills of farmers. But, unfortunately, the Centre has not taken any step in this regard, he lamented.
Ethanol production has been limited to 10 per cent of the cane. The Centre should increase it to 25 per cent for the benefit of the factory and the farmers. It also should take steps to hike the import duty on sugar, he added. Production
The Minister said, the production of sugarcane during 2013-14 was 380 lakh metric tonnes, while it has increased to 420 lakh metric tonnes this year. About 20 per cent of the sugar produced are used for domestic purpose and the remaining has to be sold. Out of 73 lakh farmers, five lakh are sugarcane growers, he added.