UP sugar mills to begin crushing on Nov 11

SWEET DIWALI TREAT FOR CANE FARMERS

Ending weeks of uncertainty, the Uttar Pradesh government today said 141 sugar mills in the state would start crushing sugarcane in a phased manner from November 11.

The state's sugarcane development minister, Naseemuddin Siddiqui, said in the state assembly today that all mills had submitted their crushing schedule to the state government and he was confident that the industry would honour its commitment.

Sugar mills in the state had asked for relief on the state advised cane prices (SAP) on account of huge arrears in payments to sugarcane farmers.

The state government, however, kept the SAP at last year's level. Most sugar mills expressed their disappointment at this and suggested that this could further delay the start of sugar factories. In the past, sugar mills have always started operations in October.

Siddiqui had announced in the state assembly on October 31 that all sugar mills would clear the arrears by November 15.

The total arrears were to the tune of Rs 1,412 crore "" Rs 1,074 crore in the books of private mills, Rs 183 crore of co-operative mills and Rs 154 crore of state-owned mills.

The government, in June, had set August 31 as the deadline for all mills to clear the arrears. In October, recovery certificates were issued against as many as 64 private sugar mills to mount pressure for clearing the dues of cane farmers at the earliest.

Sources in the sugarcane department here pointed out that the sugar mills are legally bound to furnish their cane-crushing schedule at the beginning of each season.

An official said at the time of finalisation of reservation of sugarcane area, each sugar unit informs the cane commissioner about its cane requirement and the time the mill needs to crush the sugarcane grown in the allotted area.