Tag : Sugarcane

Panaji: Hundreds of Sugarcane farmers in Goa are struggling to sell their yield for better price to traders from outside the state as the only Sugar factory of this coastal state has stopped operations for the last three years. Sanjivani Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana (Sugar Factory) was set up in 1972 by the first Chief Minister of Goa Dayanand Bandodkar at Dharbandora in South Goa. It had an excellent track record at the initial stage with many farmers engaged to take production of this crop. The sugar factory, however, went into losses in the last one decade or more and three years ago its operations were stopped stating it was not viable to operate. It was told then that after operations are stopped a new plant will be installed, which would also give by-product. However this has not come into reality yet. According to reports, in 2017-18 around 789.48 ha land was under cultivation, with the engagement of 955 farmers producing 47,503.723 tonnes of sugarcane. In the subsequent year 798.64 ha land was under cultivation with the engagement of 865 farmers, who then produced 33,212.773 tonnes of sugarcane. In 2020 the government announced to shut the operation of the sugar factory and production dropped to 26,282.61 tonnes, which was cultivated on 664.17 ha with engagement of 784 farmers. Subsequent to it, Sugarcane farmers lost interest and in 2020-21 the production dropped to mere 31,202.188 ha and the number of farmers came down to 535. Only 431.57 ha of land was cultivated last year. Many sugarcane farmers speaking to IANS have confirmed that this year too that the production will drop as the farmers have lost interest and many of them have started to grow vegetables in their fields. The president of Goa Us Utpadan Sanghatana (Sugar ...