BAREILLY: All five sugar mills in Bareilly district will advance the sugarcane crushing season by 15 days with farmers expecting a bumper crop this year, says district cane officers (DCO). DCO Shailesh Kumar Maurya told TOI, "We are expecting 750 quintal average cane per hectare, which is around 50% more than the last year. We are also going to set up 20 more cane procurement points, which are, as of now, 206. Bareilly farmers sell their crops to five sugar mills in the district and two in Pilibhit." According to cane department sources, three sugar mills are yet to clear an outstanding amount of around Rs 76 crore.
DCO, however, said millers had assured that before commencing of the crushing season, all dues would be cleared.
Talking about the revised quota for farmers, DCO said, "Farmers raising sugarcane on 15 bighas will be issued a token to sell 800 quintal, which was 700 quintal last year."
In the state, sugarcane is being grown on 22 lakh hectares, which is 25% more than the last year, said officials.
Appreciating the government's decision to advancing the crushing season by 15 days, Bhisham Singh, a farmer from Pilibhit district, said, "This year, we are expecting much better crop. Not only canes are taller up to two feet, but we are also expecting 50-70% extra production per hectare."