Union Minister Pralhad Joshi seeks checks on sugarcane weight, sugar recovery in Karnataka

BENGALURU: Union Minister Pralhad Joshi has urged Chief Minister DK Shivakumar to address concerns raised by sugarcane farmers in Karnataka over alleged under-reporting of sugar recovery by mills, discrepancies in cane weighment and deductions of around 8 per cent for mechanically harvested sugarcane.

In a letter to Shivakumar on Wednesday, Joshi said representatives of sugarcane farmers from Karnataka had raised these issues at a meeting in New Delhi on Monday. They alleged that these practices were affecting the prices paid to them.

Joshi also pointed out that some mills allegedly reported lower sugar recovery than the actual levels, causing financial losses to farmers. Joshi urged the state government to independently verify sugar recovery figures reported by mills.

He also suggested examining the feasibility of establishing recovery-testing facilities or check stations in major sugarcane-growing areas to ensure transparency.

On discrepancies in weighment, he called for periodic calibration, verification and inspection of weighbridges installed at sugar mills to ensure accurate measurement of cane supplied by farmers and protect their interests.

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