Export quotas for sugar factories soon: Sharad Pawar

Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar on Friday said the Centre will export five lakh tonnes of sugar and his ministry would issue directives this week to allocate export quotas for sugar factories.

The Centre will allocate quotas for export to sugar factories for the first time. This quota would be transferable, said Pawar. He was addressing the AGM of the Vasantdada Sugar Institute.
Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar were present among other dignitaries.

Pawar said his ministry estimates 250 lakh tonnes of sugar production this year, but there is 54 lakh tonnes of sugar stock at hand. He said taking into account the domestic need of 220 lakh tonnes, the Centre will retain 80 lakh tonnes as buffer for next year.

Pawar said it was wrong to agitate for increased advance and the authority to decide on the price for sugarcane was vested with the committee headed by the chief minister. Minister for co-operation Harshawardhan Patil said a meeting of the stakeholders will be held in Pune on January 6 to solve the issue.

Asking sugar mills to adopt professional management and transparency, chief minister Prithviraj Chavan said the agitation for increased advance was a wrong step and would hamper crushing, which was vital for the industry.

The sugar industry being financially strong, it should not look to the government for help every now and then, he said.