Sugarcane Threshing Season Kick Starts In Maharashtra From 15th October 

Mumbai, 13 September 2021: The cabinet meeting held under the chairmanship of CM Uddhav Thackrey, decided to kick start the sugarcane threshing season for the year 2021-22 from the 15th of October. A decision to lodge FIR’s against the executive directors of those sugar factories, who initiate threshing season before the 15th of October 2021 was also taken unanimously.          

Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat, Minister for Co-operation Balasaheb Patil, Minister for Agriculture Dadaji Bhuse, State Minister Vishwajeet Kadam, Chairman of Sugar Federation Jayprakash Dandegaonkar along with other senior officers, office bearers of Sugar Federation and dignitaries were present at this meeting held at Sahyadri Guest House.

Take immediate decision on the report of the study group

As directed by the central government, a study group, under the chairmanship of the sugar commissioner, was established to finalize FRP. This study group has submitted its report to the government today. Department of Co-operation was directed to take a decision as early as possible after presenting this report to the sugarcane control board. 

Handover amount of FRP to farmers immediately

It was also decided to handover the amount of FRP to the farmers as earliest as possible. The farmers should decide whether to submit sugarcane to those factories for the upcoming threshing season which fails to pay the amount of FRP in time and with a full settlement. It was decided in the meeting to disperse guidelines in this regard. 

After disseminating the information that 146 of the sugar factories have fully settled the amount of FRP to the farmers; it was decided that threshing license should not be issued to factories excluding those which has fully settled the FRP to the farmers.

It was also directed to deposit the amount received under the mortgage loan scheme from banks directly to the bank accounts of farmers. 

Threshing season 2021-22

As per the FRP fixed by the central government for threshing season 2021-22, a rate of Rs. 2900 per ton for extraction of 10% is finalized. It was informed in this meeting that, in the year 2021-22 the area under sugarcane plantation is 12.32 lakh hectors and a production of 97 tons per hector is expected. The estimated sugarcane threshing is 1096 tons which are expected to yield 112 lakh tons of sugar. It is assumed that around 193 sugar factories will operate in this threshing season.

Ethanol Production

In the state, a total of 112 co-operative and private factories run ethanol projects, which produces 206 crore litres of ethanol. It was also informed in this meeting that, as the central government has accepted the policy of promoting ethanol production through sugar, sugar syrup and B-heavy molasses; it is assumed to fulfill the target of ethanol mix up to 10% by 2022.

Encourage farmers to use drip irrigation for sugarcane

Drip irrigation for sugarcane enhances the yield. The farmers should be encouraged to use a drip irrigation system for the maximum area under sugarcane cultivation. It was decided in the meeting that the concerned department should disseminate more and more information to create awareness in this regard amongst the farmers