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Pithoragarh, December 28
Terai farmers have demanded that the production of ethanol should be increased in sugar mills of the state as it will not only clean the atmosphere by increasing the share of bio-fuel in fossile fuels but also make sugar mills of the state more financially strong.
Terai farmers, represented by the Purva Sainik, Swatantrata Sangram Senani Uttaradhikari Evam Krishak Sangthan, have written to the state Chief Minister that over 10 lakh sugarcane farmers in Udham Singh Nagar and Haridwar regions of the state face financial difficulties every year after supplying sugarcane to sugar mills as these mills are not in a position to pay them full payment of their produce.
“We have demanded that if these sugar mills produce ethanol bio product of sugar molasses instead of sugar, these mills might rake in the profits as ethanol is sold for Rs 49 per kg in the market, the price of which is comparatively higher than that of sugar,” said Col Pramod Sharma (retd), who is leading the sangthan.
Pramod Sharma said the Uttarakhand sugar mills had the capacity to produce 5 per cent of the total national requirement of ethanol which would fetch a revenue of Rs 300 to Rs 500 crore given the current rate of ethanol. “But the sugar mills have not shown interest in ethanol production, which would require government incentives towards the initiative,” said Sharma.
According to the farmers’ leader of Terai, the country have a combined capacity of producing over 450 crore liters of ethanol per year, but only 82 crore liters of ethanol was produced last year. “If the Union Government’s criterion of mixing 10 per cent ethanol in petroleum fuels is considered, over 230 crore liters of ethanol is required every year to make the nation pollution free,” said Sharma.
According to Sharma, to promote ethanol production for the benefit of sugarcane farmers and to help check pollution, the Union Government has also passed a proposal to make it mandatory to mix ethanol with petrol from the current sugarcane crushing season which began from October this year. “This move, if implemented, would bring sugar mills out of the financial crunch and make sugarcane farmers happy as sugar mills in the country owe farmers a sum of Rs 14,000 crore on the account of sugarcane sold to them,” said Sharma.
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