category Regional, chandigarh, , tags Regional, chandigarh, , DW BUREAU Chandigarh Haryana Cooperation Minister, Dr. Banwari Lal today chaired a review meeting on the efficiency of cooperative sugar mills for the sugarcane crushing season 2023-2024. During the meeting, he directed the officers concerned to increase the crushing capacity ahead of the crushing season and ensure timely sugar recovery in cooperative sugar mills. Besides this, the officers should also ensure that there is no moisture in the stored sugar in warehouses. The estimated target for sugarcane crushing for the 2023-2024 season in the state is set at 4.16 lakh quintals, said Dr. Banwari Lal. During the meeting, the Cooperation Minister was apprised that as of January 23, 2024, 167.43 lakh quintals of sugarcane have been crushed in sugar mills, resulting in the production of 14.78 lakh quintals of sugar. The sugar recovery rate is 9.37 percent, compared to 9.12 percent in the previous year. The crushing capacity of sugar mills has been utilized at 86.71 percent. Similarly, the sugar recovery rates in Jind Cooperative Sugar Mill are 9.94 percent, Shahabad 9.85 percent, and Sonipat 9.76 percent. The Minister said that sugar mills with lower sugar recovery rates, such as Rohtak, Kaithal, and Panipat, need measures to improve their recovery rates. The Minister was further apprised that Hafed Sugar Mill, Phaphrana, Assandh, has recorded a sugar recovery rate of 8.73 percent. Private sugar mills, including Saraswati Sugar Mill Yamunanagar, Piccadilly, Bhadson, and Naraingarh, have recorded recovery rates of 9.37 percent, 9.55 percent, and 10.43 percent, respectively. The Minister was informed that the daily crushing capacity in cooperative sugar mills is 1750 tons in Jind, 5000 tons in Shahabad, 2200 tons in Sonipat, 3500 tons in Karnal, 1900 tons in Palwal, 2500 tons each in Gohana and Maham, 5000 tons in Panipat, 2500 tons in Kaithal, and 3500 tons in Rohtak. It was informed during the meeting that Sugarfed has made payments of Rs. 444.94 crores to farmers from its resources. Dr. Banwari Lal emphasized the need to ensure timely payment to farmers for sugarcane purchases. Sugarfed has purchased 167.56 lakh quintals of sugarcane at a cost of Rs. 646.46 crores in the current season. The average selling price of sugar from April 2023 to December 2023 was Rs. 3704.40 per quintal. (editor dailyworld.in)