Kolhapur: Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana leader and former MP Raju Shetti have demanded that the jaggery producers should be granted permission to produce ethanol, reports The Times of Iindia.
He said that he had raised the demand with union minister Nitin Gadkari, a few days ago when he met the minister.
“The jaggery houses from across the state should be allowed to produce ethanol by forming clusters. Jaggery business is a traditional one and around 15% of sugarcane produced in India is diverted to jaggery production,” Shetty said.
“Sugar mills in Maharashtra are focussing on increasing crushing capacity, which means maximum sugarcane will be diverted to them and the jaggery units will face a shortage. This would affect their business,” he further added.
“If the government allows one ethanol unit of 7,000 liters capacity per day to eight to ten jaggery units, then they need 500 tonnes of sugarcane which can be made available easily,” said Shetti.
