Sugarcane Production Up By 40 Percent to 491 million tonnes: Govt

Sugarcane production has increased by 40 per cent from 352 million tonnes in 2013-14 to 491 million tonnes today. Similarly, yield increased by 19 per cent and sugar production by 58 per cent, according to Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah. Compared to zero diversion of sugar for ethanol production in 2013-14, today a diversion of 4.5 million tonnes of sugar is being allowed for ethanol production. The sugar industry used to produce 38 crore litres of ethanol earlier and there was limited use of it, which has increased to 370 crore litres.

Addressing a Sugar Industry Symposium and National Efficiency Awards 2022-23 function of NFCSF as the Chief Guest, Shah said that the direct benefit of all this has gone into the pockets of the farmers. In his address, Shah said the country has been a witness to the cooperative movement and for a long time cooperation has been an integral part of our culture.

Several states including Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka played a leadership role in this, he said, adding that after independence, the cooperative movement did not undergo the necessary changes and due to this it was limited to a few states. Shah said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a historic decision and created a separate Ministry of Cooperation after which a lot of work has been done in the cooperative sector.

The Union Minister said that in the last 10 years the country has progressed in every field. "We have been successful in increasing the area of sugarcane production by about 18 per cent from 5 million hectares in the year 2013-14 to 6 million hectares, in just 10 years. Sugarcane production has increased by 40 per cent from 352 million tonnes in 2013-14 to 491 million tonnes, today.

"Similarly, yield increased by 19 per cent and sugar production by 58 per cent. Compared to zero diversion of sugar for ethanol production in 2013-14, today a diversion of 4.5 million tonnes of sugar is being allowed for ethanol production," he said. The sugar industry used to produce 38 crore litres of ethanol earlier and there was limited use of it, which has increased to 370 crore litres today. Shah said that the direct benefit of all this has gone into the pockets of the farmers.

He said that a policy decision of the Modi government on ethanol-blending has reduced the import bill of petrol, improved the environment, benefited farmers and increased the profits of sugar mills. He also said that the Modi government has ensured multi-faceted benefits to four sectors with the important decision of allowing 20 per cent blending. It is constantly monitored, by the Prime Minister himself, through the Group of Ministers which reviews and takes decisions every 3 months and that is why we have been able to achieve the targets in ethanol blending much before time.

Union Cooperation Minister said that when Biofuel alliance will create worldwide awareness of benefits of ethanol blending, the biggest beneficiary will be the sugarcane farmers and sugar mills. He said the Modi government has promoted economic development as well as rural empowerment through cooperatives. "We have also worked to achieve energy security, environmental improvement and sustainable growth of sugar mills."

Shah said that PM Modi has set a target of 20 per cent ethanol blending by 2030, but we will achieve this target much before by 2025-26. That out of about 5,000 crore litres of petrol sold, the requirement of ethanol will be one thousand crore litres, he said. Shah also said that we should work towards making sugar mills viable. He said that the government is ready to extend all possible help to set up multidimensional biofuel production plants.

He said that NAFED will procure 100 per cent maize and pulses from all farmers at Minimum support price (MSP). He said that the prosperity of farmers is our goal. Shah said that for ethanol made from maize and bamboo, the government has kept the highest rate of 71.86 rupees per litre.

The Union Minister said that cooperative sugar mills have contributed about 8 per cent of the ethanol supply in 2022-23, which we have to increase to 25 per cent. He said that NFCSF has acted as a bridge between the sugar mills and the government, technology, innovation and market conditions. He said it is a union of 259 sugar mills and nine state unions are associated with it, and it has the potential to expand.

Shah said that under the 10-year roadmap, the number of cooperative sugar mills should be increased by mapping the area of sugarcane sowing across the country. He said that the goal should be that all the profits of sugar production should reach the bank accounts of the farmers.