Despite Corona UP Produces More Sugar Than Last Year
(Media Swaraj Desk)
Lucknow , 29 May . Uttar Pradesh has produced more sugar than the last year. This is a big achievement despite Lockdown due to Coronavirus pandemic . Continuous crashing of sugar can in a systematic manner has benefitted around five million farmers and workers . Sugar Cane is a major cash crop in Uttar Pradesh .
Principal Secretary Sugar industries and Cane Development, Sanjay R. Bhoosreddy said, “in spite of all the adverse conditions arose due to covid-19 the cane department decided to run all the sugar mills.”
Out of a total of 119 Sugar Mills operating in the current crushing season, 94 Sugar Mills have closed their operations, after crushing all available sugarcane in their area. 25 Sugar Mills are still in operations
Mr Bhoosreddy said that spring sowing of sugarcane is mainly done during month of February till end of April. Orders were issued to ensure availability of Agricultural inputs like pesticides, fertilisers.
These inputs were given on interest free loans to the willing farmers. The instructions were given to adjust the amount of inputs from last purchi /purchies of Cane supplied by the farmer. This arrangement helped the farmers and Spring sowing of Cane remain unaffected for wants of funds .
To facilitate farmers, the sugar mills were directed to make availability of 1 quintal of sugar per month till June 2020, to the willing farmers on minimum sale price of the day and to adjust the value of sugar from the last purchie/purchies of cane supplied by them.
According to Mr Bhoosreddy this enabled the farmer in getting cheap sugar and help the sugar mills in liquidating the cane price dues.
Under this arrangement 70,793 farmers have taken 74,865 quintals of sugar from sugar mills till date.
Mr Bhoosreddy said the cane development department encouraged the sugar mills to start sanitiser production. For the first time 27 sugar mills in UP are continuously producing more than 2 lakh litters of sanitiser per day.
The Mills are supplying the sanitiser to almost all states across India. The Government effectively solved the problems of transport and essential inputs required to running the sugar mills in lockdown period.
1. TOTAL CANE PRICE PAYMENT BY THE GOVERNMENT – Rs. 98,564.60 Cr
2. Sugar Production CURRENT CRUSHING SEASON – 1252.60 lac qtl
3. Number OF SUGARCANE FARMERS – 46.20 LAC
