The quantity of sugarcane crushed in the State in 2013-14 is more than that crushed during the last season, despite a delayed start this time owing to growers’ protests demanding judicious price for the produce.
Mills in the State have crushed 370.08 lakh tonnes of sugarcane and produced 406.62 lakh tonnes of sugar, with an average recovery of 10.98 per cent, as on April 15, 2014 (from October 1, 2013). In 2012-13, 328.96 lakh tonnes of sugarcane was crushed with an average recovery of 10.36 per cent, according to information available from city-based S. Nijalingappa Sugar Institute, the erstwhile Karnataka Sugar Institute.
As of now, there are 72 sugar mills in the State — two in the public sector, 13 in the co-operative sector, seven in the co-operative sector that have been leased to private managements, 38 in the private sector and 12 mills are not working.
As on April 15, the two mills in the public sector crushed 4.66 lakh tonnes of sugarcane and produced 43,718 tonnes of sugar, with 9.37 per cent recovery. The 13 mills in the co-operative sector crushed 62.433 lakh tonnes of sugarcane and produced 6.96 lakh tonnes of sugar, with an average recovery rate of 11.15, while the seven mills in the co-operative sector that have been leased to private managements crushed 30.243 lakh tonnes of sugarcane and produced 3.25lakh tonnes of sugar, with an average recovery rate of 10.75. The 38 private sector mills produced 30 lakh tonnes of sugar by crushing 272.743 lakh tonnes of sugarcane, with an average recovery rate of 11.
The recovery rate registered by the seven co-operative sugar mills leased to private managements is less compared with that of the co-operative sector mills and private sectors mills.
Four mills registered sugar recovery rate of more than 12 — Venkateshwara Power Project (private) – 12.56, Halsiddhanath Sahakara Sakkare Karkhane, Nippani, – 12.52, Shree Doodhaganga Krishna Sahakara Sakkare Karkhane, Chikkodi, – 12 per cent, and Parrys Sugar Industries, Haliyal, – 12.
On the other hand, M.P.M. Ltd., Bhadravati, a public sector mill, and Pandavapura Sahakara Sakkare Karkhane, a co-operative sector mill, registered sugar recovery rates of 8.32 and 8.54 respectively.
Protest
Though Karnataka has occupied a prominent place in the sugarcane sector in the country and is the third largest producer — with yield ranging from 50 tonnes per hectare to 100 tonnes a hectare, growers have not been able to get judicious price for the produce.
Sugarcane growers all over the State had launched a struggle demanding that the government fix the State Advisory Price at Rs. 3,000 a tonne well before the commencement of the crushing season for 2013-14.
Their agitation was intensified during the winter session of the State legislature in Belgaum during November-December. A debt-ridden grower, Vithal Arabhavi, committed suicide at the protest site outside the Suvarna Soudha on the third day of the winter session.
Hours after the grower’s death, the Siddaramaiah government announced an incentive of Rs. 150 per tonne of sugarcane in addition to the Rs. 2,500 per tonne that was already fixed.
But hardly any sugar mill in the State is willing to pay Rs. 2,650 per tonne. Farmers said none of the mills in Belgaum district was willing to pay more than Rs. 2,000 per tonne, and the government does not want to take on the powerful sugar lobby.
The farmers do not rule out launching a fresh agitation to get the promised price, soon after the results of the parliamentary elections are out.
