Ponda, Goa: Leaders of the Goa Sugarcane Producers Association, representing farmers who supply sugarcane to the Sanjeevani Sugar Factory, met Agriculture Minister Ravi Naik on Saturday to discuss the ongoing challenges with the factory.
Association President Rajendra Desai and Vice-President Harshad Prabhudesai shared that the minister assured them the Agriculture Department is working on starting an ethanol project and that, he would pursue the matter with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant.
According to the minister, he has already commenced the process for the ethanol project, and the related paperwork has been sent to the Chief Minister. The ethanol project is expected to address the problems faced by sugarcane producers and factory workers, Naik said.
The Sanjeevani Sugar Factory was closed in 2019 due to heavy losses and old equipment. The government had promised to either restart the factory with improved machinery or set up an ethanol plant to help sugarcane farmers.
According to the news report by The Goan, when the Sanjivani Sugar Factory closed, the government promised farmers compensation for five years, starting at Rs 3,000 per tonne in the first year, followed by Rs 2,800 in the second year, and decreasing to Rs 2,600, Rs 2,400, and Rs 2,200 per tonne for the last three years. With no indications of the factory reopening and the five-year compensation period ending this year, sugarcane farmers are anxious and uncertain about what next year will bring.
