Sugar mills paid 92% of cane dues to farmers: Centre

Sugar mills across the country have paid 92 per cent of their cane dues to farmers, said an official statement on Wednesday.

"During the current sugar season 2015-16, about 230 million MT (metric tonnes) of sugarcane was procured from the farmers by the sugar mills across the country. Out of the total cane price dues payable of Rs 52,900 crore, on the basis of Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP), only Rs 4,225 crore are pending as cane price arrears for current sugar season. Sugar mills have paid about 92 per cent of their cane dues so far," said a Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution statement.

"Out of the total pending cane price arrears for current sugar season, about Rs 1,975 crore pertains to Uttar Pradesh which is about 14 per cent of its dues payable," it said.

"A major portion of the pending arrears, about Rs 1,600 crore, belongs to five sugar group companies namely, Bajaj, Mawana, Modi, Simbhaoli and Rana," it added.

According to the official statement, Maharashtra being the major sugar producing state has cleared almost 96 per cent of sugarcane dues payable and Rs 590 crore are pending as arrears. Other major sugar producing states like Karnataka have also paid 94 per cent dues to farmers.

During the 2014-15 sugar season, the cane price arrears had peaked at Rs 21,800 crore in the month of April 2015, which has now been reduced to Rs 684 crore.

"The central government has been consistently monitoring the position of cane price arrears and advising the state governments for speedy liquidation of arrears," the statement added.

--IANS

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