... focus on clearing
sugarcane dues
|
The UP Sugarcane Department has initiated preparations for the upcoming crushing season, with a primary emphasis on clearing sugarcane dues.
According to government data, sugar mills in the state crushed 1,098.82 lakh tonnes of sugarcane in the last 2022-23 season, producing 104.82 lakh tonnes of sugar.
As of September 20, 90% of the sugarcane dues of the farmers have been paid, amounting to over Rs 34,000 crore. In the previous season, sugar mills in the state crushed 1,016.26 lakh tonnes of sugarcane, producing 101.98 lakh tonnes of sugar.
Official sources said 100 per cent payment would be made to all the 65 lakh sugarcane farmers in the state before the commencement of new crushing season.
The Yogi Adityanath government has paid Rs. 35,158.10 crore, Rs 33,014.44 crore, Rs 35,898.85 crore, Rs 33,048.06 crore and Rs. 35,444.06 crore for the crushing seasons of 2021-22, 2020-21, 2019-20, 2018-19 and 2017-18, respectively. In addition, Rs 10,668.94 crore has been against previous dues.
During the five years of the Samajwadi Party’s rule, sugarcane farmers received payments of Rs 95,200 crore. The present Bharatiya Janata Party government, has ensured payments of Rs 2.17 lakh crore to the cane farmers.
From 2012 to 2017, a total of 42 crore litres of ethanol was produced while during Yogi Adityanath government tenure the annual production of ethanol has gone up to 153.71 crore litres.
Meanwhile due to delay in payment of dues to sugarcane farmers, the sugarcane department has issued notice to the sugar mills in Shahjahanpur district to clear the payment. Despite repeated directives, the mill has not fully cleared its outstanding dues, causing resentment among farmers.