Emphasis on Diversification of Profitable Products to Revive Sugar Mills, says Dr. Banwari Lal

Published on: 08 Jun 2023 at 11:34 AM

Published by: thefactnews

The Fact News Service

Chandigarh, June 8

Haryana Cooperation Minister, Dr. Banwari Lal emphasized the state government’s commitment to enhancing the production of profitable items to revive sugar mills and mitigate losses. In line with this, the process of producing 690 KLP (Kilo Litres of Pure) ethanol in sugar mills has also been initiated.

While presiding over the meeting of the Haryana State Cooperative Sugar Mill Federation, the Cooperation and Public Health Minister, Dr. Banwari Lal said that a plan has been devised to diversify the range of products manufactured in sugar mills. Officials should prepare thoroughly for this task, setting a target to complete it within the next three years. He emphasized the importance of completing maintenance and repair work in the sugar mills by the end of September, enabling the new season to commence in October. Additionally, staff shortages should be addressed promptly, with plans to employ over 150 trained individuals from Haryana Agricultural University for technical and operational roles within the sugar mills, he added.

District managers from all sugar mills across the state, including Additional Chief Secretary TVSN Prasad and Managing Director, Capt. Manoj Kumar were also present in the meeting.

Dr. Banwari Lal acknowledged the positive progress made by specific sugar mills, with Shahbad, Jind, and Sonipat leading the way. He instructed officers to visit Panipat, Meham, Rohtak, and Assandh sugar mills to evaluate their recovery rates and submit reports to the headquarters.

14.86% Increase in Sugar Production Compared to Last Year

The Cooperation Minister said that this year, sugar mills have produced 43.73 lakh quintals of sugar by crushing 456.72 lakh quintals of sugarcane, marking a 14.86% increase compared to the previous year. Additionally, there has been a surplus of 3.79% in sugar production. The recovery rate of sugar mills reached 9.77%, slightly below the target of 10%.

He informed that the sugarcane worth Rs. 1696.97 crore was procured from farmers this year, and Rs. 1335.06 crore has already been disbursed to them. An outstanding amount of Rs. 311.32 crore will be paid by June 30, including a subsidy of Rs. 20.70 crore.

Dr. Banwari Lal sadi that a 60 KLP ethanol plant has been established in Shahbad, with over 50 KLP of ethanol produced this year. Moreover, the process of setting up an ethanol plant in Panipat is underway and nearing completion.