Uttar Pradesh produces a record 590 lakh quintal sugar this season

Uttar Pradesh has achieved a record production of 590 lakh quintal sugar in the current crushing season.

"So far 590 lakh quintal sugar has been produced in the state by crushing 6,380 lakh quintal cane with a recovery percentage of 9.13%," an official spokesman said here today.

The figures were quoted by the officials during a departmental review meeting held by cane development minister Naseemuddin Siddiqui held here today.

"Production this year is 83 lakh quintal higher than 507 lakh quintal in the last crushing season," he said.

He said that during the review meeting, Siddiqui said that the government was committed on timely payment of cane price and that stern action would be taken against sugar mills who delay the payment.

While directing the officials to promote co-production among farmers, the minister said that the process of realising commission given by the mills to cane committees should be expedited.

The officials informed the minister that as against cane dues of Rs12,904 crore in the current crushing season, Rs11,800 crore has been paid to the farmers so far.

Besides, they said, Rs14.8 crore was realised as interest on dues and distributed among the cane committees.