Sugarcane crushing begins at Shahabad, Naraingarh mills

Kurukshetra, November 15

Cooperatives Minister Dr Banwari Lal today said that the farmers’ demand to hike the state advised price (SAP) for sugarcane would be raised before the CM.

Capacity of units to be increased

The government has been taking steps to increase the capacity of the sugar mills so that Haryana farmers don’t have to take cane to other states. — Banwari Lal, Cooperatives Minister

Sugarcane farmers had been demanding a hike in SAP to Rs 400 a quintal. The Haryana Government gives Rs 362 a quintal for early maturing varieties and Rs 355 for late maturing varieties.

Lal said, “Haryana gives the highest prices for sugarcane to its farmers. The demand will be raised before the CM.”

The minister was here to start the 39th cane crushing season of Shahabad Cooperative Sugar Mills Ltd.

Lal said, “Only the production of sugar is not enough, we have to start producing different products, including ethanol, power and jiggery, in all plants to bring sugar mills out of losses. The government has been taking steps to increase the capacity of the sugar mills so that the farmers of Haryana don’t have to take sugarcane to other states.”

He further said besides paying attention to strengthen the financial condition of the sugar mills in the state, the government was focusing on improving the sugar realisation.

Kurukshetra DC Shantanu Sharma said in the current season, the mill had set the target to crush 80 lakh quintal sugarcane and produce 8.80 lakh quintal sugar. It had also set a target to produce around 5 crore units of electricity.

Shahabad MLA and chairman, Sugarfed, Ramkaran Kala, and MD of the mill, Rajeev Prashad, were present on the occasion.

Meanwhile, the cane crushing season 2022-23 of Naraingarh sugar mills in Ambala also began on Tuesday.

Naraingarh SDM and CEO of the sugar mill C Jayasharadha and Director Finance Raghubir Singh started the crushing season. Sugar mills’ unit head VK Singh said the mill had set the target to crush over 50 lakh quintal sugarcane.