The Nitish Kumar government of Bihar has taken an important decision to promote the jaggery industry in the state. With the Bihar State Jaggery Industry Promotion, Rs 1240 lakh has been sanctioned for 81 jaggery units. The crushing capacity in the sugar mills of the state has almost doubled. Due to this, new possibilities are being seen in the sugarcane industry. The state’s Sugarcane Industry Minister Krishna Nandan Paswan said these things during a press conference organized at IPRD.

Minister Krishna Nandan Paswan said that for the first time in Bihar, Rs 1240 lakh has been sanctioned for 81 jaggery units with jaggery industry incentive. Bihar is at the fifth place in the country in sugar production, soon it will come to the third place.

Apply soon from online portal

Minister Krishna said that to bring transparency in this scheme, the application process will be started soon through online portal. Cane Care software has been developed. Provision of capital grant has been made in this scheme. In this, 50 percent of the cost or maximum up to Rs 6 lakh, whichever is less, will be payable on establishment of 5-20 TCD (tonne crushing per day) capacity. Similarly, 50 percent of the cost or maximum up to Rs 15 lakh, whichever is less, will be payable on establishment of 21-40 TCD capacity.

On the installation of 41-60 TCD capacity, 50% of the cost or a maximum of Rs. 45 lakhs, whichever is less, will be payable. Whereas on the installation of capacity more than 60 TCD, 20% of the cost or Rs. 45 lakhs, whichever is more and a maximum of Rs. 01 crore will be payable.

Sugarcane Commissioner Anil Kumar Jha said that the operation of Riga Sugar Mill stopped from the year 2019-20. After the closure of the mill, this matter has been under consideration by NCLT, Kolkata. The liquidator appointed by NCLT tendered four times. After the fourth tender process, a letter of intent has been issued to M/s Nirani Sugars. M/s Nirani Sugars is one of the major sugar enterprises of the country. There is a possibility of Riga Sugar Mill starting again from this crushing season.

The Sugarcane Commissioner informed that during the crushing season 2023-24, the sugar mills of the state have crushed 677.20 lakh quintals of sugarcane (about 14.24 lakh quintals more than last year) and produced 68.77 lakh quintals of sugar with 10.16 percent recovery. Along with this, 86298.72 kilo liters of ethanol has been produced by the distillery unit associated with the sugar mills of the state. 99.34 percent of the sugarcane farmers have been paid a total of Rs 2354.80 crore.

Three-tier seed production program implemented

To increase the yield of sugarcane, the state government is implementing a three-tier seed production program under the Chief Minister Sugarcane Development Program in the interest of sugarcane farmers. MoUs have been signed with the Indian Sugarcane Research Institute, Lucknow and Sugarcane Research Institute, Pusa, Bihar to supply the best sugarcane seed to the sugarcane farmers of the state. Through these institutes, 19250 quintals of breeder seed will be produced every year for the next five years. The next step of seed production, i.e., the production of base seed and certified seed, is being done in the sugar mills’ fields and farmers’ fields.

Under the Chief Minister Sugarcane Development Scheme, farmers / producers will be given a subsidy of Rs 60,000 / – per hectare for the production of one lakh 92 thousand 500 quintals of base seed in the year 2024-25. Incentive amount will be paid to seed producing farmers at the rate of Rs 50 per quintal for the production of six lakh 20 thousand quintals of certified seed in the year 2024-25. Under the Chief Minister Sugarcane Development Scheme, farmers will be given assistance grant at the rate of Rs 800 per acre for adopting intercropping with sugarcane in the year 2024-25. Farmers will be given assistance at the rate of Rs 2500 per hectare for the control of pest disease.

Conference of 500 farmers every year

To make farmers aware of modern sugarcane production techniques, 500 farmer training programs have been organized this year, in which 20 thousand farmers have benefited. This year 12 state-level sugarcane farmer seminars are to be organized, in which 2400 sugarcane farmers will be trained. Exposure visits have been organized for farmers in major sugarcane institutes. This has benefited 400 farmers this year.

On this occasion, Principal Secretary Narmadeshwar Lal gave information about the important program of the department, Sugarcane Mechanization Scheme and said that for the first time in the state in the current financial year, Sugarcane Mechanization Scheme will be implemented in the interest of sugarcane farmers. As a result of the implementation of this scheme, sugarcane farmers will be provided agricultural equipment useful in sugarcane cultivation at subsidized rates. This will reduce the cost of sugarcane cultivation by farmers and increase net income.