Sangrur: Sugarcane cultivators in the Dhuri region are claiming the sluggish procurement of their crops in the current season. Bhagwanpura Sugar Mill, located in Dhuri, remains non-operational, leading to the cessation of sugarcane crushing activities, reported Tribune India.
Despite the mill’s inactivity, the management has been acquiring sugarcane from growers in the Dhuri area and transporting the produce to other mill in Mukerian. Simultaneously, sugarcane farmers are grappling with the delayed payment from the previous season.
A meeting between representatives of farmer organizations and state government officials is scheduled in Chandigarh, where these pressing issues are anticipated to be addressed.
Harjeet Singh Bugra, convener of the Ganna Kashatkar Sanghrash Committee in Dhuri, expressed concern over the predicament faced by sugarcane growers in the region, highlighting that about 50 per cent of their sugarcane yield remains unharvested. Bugra pointed out that the mill management had initially committed to issuing 10 slips daily for sugarcane procurement, but in the past six to seven days, they have been providing only five slips. Consequently, farmers find themselves compelled to sell their produce in Haryana or other locations.
As per news report, Arun Sharma, the General Manager (Cane) at Bhagwanpura Sugar Mill in Dhuri, stated that they are currently procuring 1,000 quintals of sugarcane daily from farmers. This harvest is then dispatched to their alternate unit in Mukerian, given the non-operational status of Bhagwanpura sugar mill this season. Sharma mentioned that, previously, the mill authorities instructed loading 100 quintals of sugarcane in a tractor-trolley, but due to farmer practices loading around 200 quintals, they have adjusted the number of slips issued accordingly.
