Hafed to purchase entire bonded sugarcane crop in Assandh area

CHANDIGARH, NOV 7

 Haryana Minister of State for Cooperation Manish Kumar Grover said that Hafed would purchase the entire bonded sugarcane crop of the farmers of the Assandh area and the Sugar Mill Assandh would be operated till the availability of sugarcane. Apart from this, he also directed to ensure that the Mill would achieve average 10.50 per cent sugar recovery during the crushing season 2017-18.

The Minister, who was speaking after inaugurating the opening ceremony of crushing season 2017-18 of Hafed Sugar Mill, Assandh today, appreciated the Hafed’s management for best facilities given to the farmers.

Speaking on the occasion, SDM-cum-General Manager, Hafed Sugar Mill, Assandh, Mr. Anurag Dhalia said that sugarcane area attached to Hafed Sugar Mill, Assandh has increased from 2,000 acres in 2008-09 to 20,330 acres during 2017-18. He said that Hafed Sugar Mill, Assandh was awarded National Level first prize in financial management for the year 2016-17, and second prize in financial management for the year 2014-15 among the Co-operative Sugar Mills situated in India. The Mill produced 3.91 lakh quintals of sugar by crushing 37.2 lakh quintals of sugarcane last year which is a new record for the Mill.

During this year Sugar Mill, Assandh has given Rs. 75 lakh as interest free loan and Rs. four lakh as subsidy to the cane growers. In the current season, the target for crushing has been fixed 42 lakh quintals of sugarcane and would also generate 2MW exportable power per day to the State Grid (UHBVN). It is expected that Sugar Mill, Assandh would achieve 10.50 per cent sugar recovery and would export about 40 lakh units to state grid during current crushing season, he added.

Mr. Dhalia said that in order to bring more transparency in cane weighing, modern automatic weighing system under the cameras has been adopted this year in Sugar Mill Assandh to keep the record of tractor and trolleys. He said that advance calendar for supply of cane would be provided to all cane growers to facilitate them. Information is being sent through SMS to the farmers for the calendaring of sugarcane/purchi and their cane payment. The calendaring of the sugarcane is available on the website of Hafed. He said that a sale counter is opened at Mill gate for sale of weedicides, pesticides and Hafed’s consumer products. Apart from this, Press Mud is being given to farmers on 50 per cent subsidised rates to increase the productivity of the sugarcane and soil health.

He said that on the demand of farmers, 24 hours on the spot tyre puncture facility would be provided in the Mill for which payment would be made by the farmers. He said that accidental insurance of the farmers of Sugar Mill area would be done by the Sugar Mill.

Chairman Hafed, Mr. Harvinder Kalyan said that Hafed Sugar Mill was providing various facilities to the farmers such as interest free loan on cane seed, fertilizers and pesticides to encourage them for sowing of sugarcane in the catchment area of Assandh Mill. He said that an attractive Cane Development Plan has been prepared for the season 2018-19 for encouraging the cane growers to increase the sugarcane sowing in the catchment area of the Mill.

MLA Assandh, Mr. Bakhshish Singh Virk appraised the Hafed’s policies regarding releasing of the payment to the farmers at the earliest after the weighing of the sugarcane and maximum facilities being provided to the farmers.

---balbirsingh227@gmail.com