New Delhi: The lockdown imposed to prevent the spread of coronavirus pandemic has severely affected several sectors including sugar. The demand for sugar has been reduced as the industries like cold drinks, ice cream, bakeries and sweet shops are shut due to lockdown. Sugar mills are passing through challenging time.
Apart from this, the mills are unable to find buyers for the by-products of sugar mill including rectified spirit, molasses and extra neutral alcohol (ENA). Adding to their woes, oil marketing companies (OMCs) have reduced offtake of ethanol for blending with petrol.
Mills are unable to sell the sugar amid lockdown, due to which sugar stocks are piling up in warehouses. And also they are unable to clear cane payment due to financial scarcity.
The State-level and national-level organisations associated with sugar sector have written to the state government as well as centre to provide financial assistance to the ailing sugar sector.
What about last year payment of farmers that is still pending. NO GOVERNMENT NO POLITICIAN THINKS ABOUT FARMERS.