(MENAFN- KNN India) Lucknow, May 4 (KNN)
In a major boost for the sugarcane farming community in Uttar Pradesh, cane growers in the state have received nearly Rs 30,000 crore in payments from sugar mills during the current 2023-24 crushing season that is nearing its end.
According to official data, the payments made so far represent over 82 per cent of the total cane payables to farmers for the season.
The substantial payments have brought relief to millions of cane cultivators across the state's cane belt.
The cane payments were facilitated by the Yogi Adityanath government's thrust on the sugar sector. Since taking over in March 2017, the state has enabled cane payments totalling a staggering Rs 2.5 trillion, which is roughly Rs 36,600 crore more than the total paid out in the preceding 22 years from 1995 to 2017.
The cane boom has been accompanied by a surge in ethanol production, a key by-product from sugar manufacturing.
From nearly 421 million litres in 2016-17, UP's ethanol output soared to 1.54 billion litres in 2022-23 and crossed 1.75 billion litres by March this year.
The state's 121 operating sugar mills, with a combined crushing capacity of 0.84 million tonnes crushed per day, have processed 98 million tonnes of cane so far in 2023-24, producing 10.33 million tonnes of sugar.
Nearly 5 million households in UP are engaged in sugarcane cultivation, generating an estimated annual economy of Rs 50,000 crore.
The state has also taken steps to boost the sector, including establishment of new mills, reopening of closed units, capacity expansion and promotion of female self-help groups involved in cane cultivation.
(KNN Bureau)
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