After the state government cautioned sugar mills in the state to go for exports to meet targets set by the Union government or be ready to lose the benefits of purchase tax waiver and restructuring of loans, a meeting of all stakeholders in the sugar industry was held at Yashwantrao Chavan Pratishthan at Narmian Point on Monday.

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis presided over the meeting, which was attended by NCP president Sharad Pawar, state cooperative minister Chandrakant Patil, rural development minister Pankaja Munde, former ministers Dilip Walase-Patil, Balasaheb Thorat, cooperative sugar factories federation president Shivajirao Nagavade and representatives from cooperative as well as private sugar mills.

Patil informed that the Union government, as per its policy towards exports, has fixed the target of 40 tonnes of sugar export for the crushing season of 2015-16. He said, as per this target, Maharashtra is expected to export 1.4 million tonnes of sugar this season. However, so far, only only 3.8 lakh tonnes have been exported from the state. He said that this export is obligatory since the state has given an assurance to the Centre, failing which the sugar prices would come down and that will hamper the interests of sugarcane farmers.

Fadnavis, while addressing the meeting, pointed out that the state government would not provide purchase tax waiver to sugar factories that do not met the export targets. He said that 10 per cent amount of interest on soft loan given to sugar factories last year is being paid by the Union government and the state government is going to pay the interest for the coming four years. He also informed that the state government would not pay this interest if the sugar factories fail to meet export targets.

However, Patil informed that after the caution sounded by the government, the sugar millers have agreed to go for exports.