Chhattisgarh’s sugarcane crop has not so far been included in the National Food Security Mission (NFSM).
Sugarcane has been included under National Food Security Mission (NFSM) as a commercial crop with cropping system approach to meet the demand for both food & cash crop, from 2014-15 in the country.
At present four sugar mills are under operation in Chhattisgarh. The Normal area (average from 2011-12 to 2015-16) under sugarcane in Chhattisgarh is 17 thousand hectares. Presently, Chhatisgarh is not included under NFSM. The States have been given flexibility for crop development programme including sugarcane crop, States can undertake sugarcane development programme under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojna (RKVY) with the approval of SlSC under the Chairmanship of the Chief Secretary of the States.
The sugar factory run by lauh Purush Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel Shakkar Karkhana Maryadit at village Bisesra in Development block Pandaria in Kabhirdham district will be utilising state-of-art automation software for operation of the plant, officials informed.
Notably, the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Sugar factory was built at a cost of Rs 165 crore .
It may be mentioned that the Co-Operative Sugar Factory had been built in a record period of less than one year.
Chief Minister Raman Singh had laid the foundation stone of the factory on December 14, 2015. The construction of the factory had started on March 3, 2016 and was completed in a record period of 10 months.
This is the second sugar factory at Kabhirdham district and fourth in the entire State. The sugar factory had been built meeting the international standards and modern technology.
The crushing capacity is 2500 metric tonnes of sugarcane per day and it will produce 250 metric tonnes of sugar a day.
Fourteen Megawatt of electricity also will be generated from the plant.
This apart, the Bhoramdeo Sugar Mill will produce bio-fuel for vehicles apart from sugar in Kadirdham district.
The State government in November last year had decided to set up an ‘Ethanol Plant’ near the Sugar Mill, officials had informed.
About Rs 70 crore would be invested in setting up of the plant, which will produce Ethanol from Molasses- which is a by-product obtained during Sugar production.
The State government has given in-principle approval for setting up of the plant.
“On the back side of sugar mill in about 30 acres, land is lying vacant where the Ethanol plant will be established. The State government has given in-principle approval for setting up of the Rs 70 crore plant,” KN Khande Managing Director Bhoramdeo Sahakari Shakkar Karkhana Maryadit had stated.
According to an estimate, 65 lakh liters of Ethanol will be produced in one season that would be mixed with petrol used in vehicles as a fuel. Currently, a 6 MW power plant is also functioning at sugar mill that will also provide power to the proposed Ethanol plant.
Notably, in every season, 25,000 metric tonnes of Molasses is produced at the sugar mill which is sold to ‘Gudhakhu’ and liquor factories that fetch Rs 12.50 crore for the plant.
Once the Ethanol plant starts functioning in full swing, it would generate profit of about Rs 27.63 crore, officials stated.