A delegation from the All India Sugarcane Farmers Federation (AISFF), affiliated with AIKS, met the Prakash Naiknavare, Managing Director of the National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories (NFCSF) on Monday in New Delhi and submitted a memorandum highlighting the declining state of cooperative sugar mills across India.
Led by AISFF President D. Ravindran, the delegation expressed concern over the outdated technology and poor infrastructure in cooperative mills, many of which were established nearly 50 years ago.
As a result, several mills have shut down or are running below capacity. In Andhra Pradesh, only one out of 19 cooperative mills is operational, while in Tamil Nadu, four cooperative mills, including the National Cooperative and Amravati mills, remain closed.
To revive these units, AISFF urged NFCSF to intervene and requested Rs 1,000 crore as an interest-free loan for the reopening of closed mills in Tamil Nadu. The federation also demanded a sugarcane price of Rs 550 per quintal for a 9.5% recovery rate, reintroduction of the SAP provision in the 1966 Sugarcane Control Order, and profit-sharing from by-products.
They also sought exemption for Tamil Nadu from monthly sugar sale targets, as the state’s limited annual output hampers timely farmer payments due to unsold stock.
