Chhattisgarh to become self-sufficient in sugar production

Chhattisgarh would now become self-reliant in sugar production, literally would not have to depend on the Government of India for a quota.

The state, which has been known as rice-bowl of the country in the country's agriculture map, is now set to create a niche for itself in the sugar production. The three sugar factories in the state would fulfill the mission.

"The sugar production in the three factories had reached 65,000 metric tonnes," a senior official with the cooperative department told Business Standard. The production will soon cross 100,000 metric tonnes as the department has started the required exercises, he added.

The state government required 57,500 metric tonnes of sugar per annum for distribution to the ration card holders through the public distribution system. The Government of India had been allocating about 56,000 metric tonnes of sugar every year to Chhattisgarh.

"Now when the state would be producing 65,000 metric tonnes from its own resources, it would not have to depend on Centre's allocation to meet the requirement," the official said. The state government had taken an important decision to bestow sweet taste of state's sugar to its people.

The state cabinet had approved a proposal of the department to stock the state's PDS with the sugar produced from the local factories. The PDS outlets across the state would now sell the sugar that had been produced from here. "The local people would now get the taste of the state's sugar," the official said.

The decision would help the three factories located in Kawardha, Balod and Surajpur district to find a buyer for the produce. The production would help the sugarcane producers to get a better return from the yield.