Sugarcane yield in Karnataka, the country's third largest producer of sugar, may suffer a 'shortfall' this time due to floods in major producing regions of the state, Sugar Minister C T Ravi said on Thursday.
Sugarcane crop on 1.52 lakh hectares had been affected due to inundation for weeks together. "So, we estimate shortfall in yield," he said.
Speaking to reporters here after chairing a meeting of the Sugarcane Control Board, he said the shortfall would mean ashorter crushing season for the sugar factories this year.
According to Ravi, sugarcane is cultivated in five lakh hectares in Karanataka and 410.65 lakh tonne of cane was crushed in 2018-19. There are 85 sugar factories in the state of which67 functioned in 2018-19, producing 44.31 lakh tonne of sugar.
Uttar Pradesh stood first in sugar production in the country, followed by Maharashtra and Karnataka, he said.
On the dues to the farmers, he said Rs 11,948 crore had to be paid as fair and remunerative price, fixed by the Centre, for 2018-19 and as of Wednesday only Rs 84 crore remained to be cleared.
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"So 99.5 per cent payment has been done. The dues will be paid in the next 10 days," he said adding some factories had even declared more than the FRP through private oral agreements and paid the first or second instalments.
Making it clear that the government's commitment was only for FRP, he, however, said it had been decided farmers and factories entering into such pacts would have to go for legal agreements about the price decided over and above FRP to avoid any differences in the future.
FRP for 2018-19 is Rs 2,750 per tonne if there is 10 per cent recovery.
The Minister also said in view of concerns expressed about differences in sugar yield from the sugarcane brought from the same areas, the government had decided to use an automated machine in a few sugar factories on a pilot basis.
The technology was use in Brazil and each machine may cost up to Rs one crore, he said adding based on the outcome of the pilot project, the state would recommend it to the Centre.
Regarding shifting of the Directorate of Sugar and Commissionerate for Cane Development to Belagavi, the Ministersaid a decision had been made to this effect at thegovernment level, but some issues related to staffneeded to be addressed.