Sanjivani Sugar Factory wants levy sugar quota reduced
HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, OCT 11
Non lifting of total quota of levy sugar by the department of Civil Supplies from Sanjivani Sugar Factory (SSF) has hampered its (SSF) prospects of cutting down its losses.
The department of Civil Supplies lift about 72-80 MT from SSF even as its quota is 120 metric ton per month. The Civil supplies officer said they are not lifting total quota allotted to them because people are not buying sugar from fair price shops.
“People don’t buy sugar from fair price shops and it’s left unsold.” A half kilo sugar is given per head to card holders of Antodaya Anna Yojna (AAY), Above Poverty Line (APL) and Annapurna (AAP). According to Civil Supplies department about 122558 cards holders are entitled to receive sugar at the rate of Rs 15.17 per kg which is half the price of the market. But surprisingly according to the department there are no takers.
On the other hand SSF claimed that they are not able to sell non-lifted stock of sugar by the department. Every month, the government fix levy quota and sugar that can be sold in the open market. Currently, SSF has about 4316 quintals of levy sugar and 16433 quintals of non-levy sugar quota.
The efforts of SSF to get levy quota reduced as it is desperately trying to reduce its losses, has not helped. “We have had written to the central government requesting to cut down levy quota of sugar but it didn’t help,” says N D Agarwal, who is the charge of SSF.
Nevertheless, last season they managed to sell levy sugar which was left unpicked after obtaining special permission from the government otherwise it is not easy to touch levy sugar, he adds.
DELAYED HARVESTING –
This year of harvesting of sugarcane will probably take place after Diwali in November as rains are yet to recede. Normally, harvesting begins in the last week of October but this season, it deferred due to rains, told Agarwal.
For better recovery thirty- forty days of dry spell is warranted before harvesting takes place.
Poor recovery rate of local sugarcane is one of the reasons why SSF has not been effectively cut down its cost. While recovery rate of sugarcane grown outside Goa ranges between 10 and 15 per cent per ton, recovery rate of local sugarcane is just 7-8 per cent per ton, says Agarwal.
Unless there is improvement in quality of sugarcane, SSF can’t really hope to improve its financial position, he adds.
