The Ma Mahamaya Cooperative Sugar factory at Kerta in Surguja district have started encountering problems due to less sugarcane arrivals this season. As a consequence, the farmers of the district had been urged by the management of the sugar factory to arrange sugarcane stocks by March 25 this year so that the same could be purchased from them.
Post March 25 this year, sugarcane procurement season would be closed. So far, more than 1.92 lakh metric tonnes of sugarcane had been purchased from farmers since November 24, 2014, officials stated. Notably, three Co-operative sugar factories of Chhattisgarh have produced 68,000 metric tonnes of sugar in the financial year 2013-14, officials stated.
These sugar factories are based in village Ramhepur of Kabeerdham (Kawardha) district, village Krerta of Surajpur district and village Karkabhaat of Balod district. In these factories, nearly 7.70 lakh metric tonnes of sugarcane were procured from more than 10,000 farmers last year. During sugarcane crushing season 2013-14, a more than 7.70 lakh metric tonnes of sugarcane were crushed, against the target of 8 .70 lakh metric tonnes.
The officials of Co-operatives Department informed that crushing of total 4.43 lakh metric tonnes of sugarcane was done in Bhoramdev Cooperative Sugar Factory in Ramhepur village of Kabeerdham district, against the given target of 4.50 lakh metric tonnes. In Ma Mahamaya Co-operative Sugar Factory of village Krerta Surajpur district, 2.23 lakh metric tonnes of sugar was crushed against the given target of 2.50 lakh metric tonnes.
The factory produced 21,512 metric tonness of sugar. The officials further informed that in Danteshwari Maiya Co-operative Sugar Factory of village Karkabhaat Balod district, nearly 1.3 lakh metric tonnes of sugarcane was crushed, against the given target of 1.50 lakh metric tonnes and total 8,133 metric tonnes of sugar was produced.
Chhattisgarh’s fourth sugar factory will be opened as an Agro-based industry in the co-operatives sector in Pandariya region of Kabeerdham district. Chief Minister Raman Singh has already provided in-principle approval to the proposed action plan early last month. As per the approved action plan, the daily crushing capacity of the new sugar factory will be nearly 25,000 metric tonnes.
As per the proposed action plan for the factory, nearly 20,000 farmers of Pandariya region as well as those of Mungeli and Bemetara districts will be benefited by the establishment of this factory.
A Co-operative Society of farmers will be formed for operating the factory. The establishment cost of the factory will be around Rs150 crore. The share capital of Rs10 crore will be collected from the farmers. In this way, with farmers’ share in capital, they will have an important role in management of the factory, official informed.