Pune/Ahilyanagar (Maharashtra): Under the guidance of Sanjeevani Group Chairman Bipin Kolhe, the Sahakar Maharshi Shankarrao Kolhe Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana Ltd is embracing innovative changes in the sugar industry. The factory has signed an agreement with Mahindra & Mahindra to effectively utilize satellites and artificial intelligence (AI) in its operations. Chairman Vivek Kolhe claims that Kolhe mill is the first sugar mill in the country to implement AI technology.
In a press release, Kolhe stated that former state minister Shankarrao Kolhe had continuously guided the nation’s sugar industry by studying advanced technologies related to the sugar industry. He mentioned that the mill has now agreed with Mahindra & Mahindra to measure sugarcane plots using satellites and to check the sugar content/recovery in standing sugarcane using multispectrum cameras. Weather factors are also studied with the help of satellites. All this information is extracted using AI technology.
Kolhe added that the findings are re-examined weekly in the mill’s laboratory, and a sugarcane cutting schedule is implemented, resulting in a 0.2 per cent increase in sugar recovery and cost savings. The project is being prioritized and implemented by a team including Executive Director Bajirao Sutar, Sugar General Manager Shivajirao Divate, Cane Manager G.B. Shinde, Cane Development Officer Shivajirao Devkar, and Mahindra Company’s Karamyog Singh, Mandar Gadge, Sumit Darphale, and Kiran Kirdak.
