Sugar mills have paid about 92 per cent of their Rs.52,900 crore cane dues to growers so far, with only Rs.4, 225 crore pending for the current sugar season (2015-16), a statement issued by the Food Ministry said on Wednesday.
A major portion of the pending arrears – about Rs.1,600 crore – belongs to five sugar group companies —Bajaj, Mawana, Modi, Simbhaoli and Rana, the Ministry said.
Out of the total pending cane arrears for the current sugar season, about Rs.1,975 crore pertains to Uttar Pradesh, which is about 14 per cent of its dues payable, it added.
Maharashtra has cleared almost 96 per cent of sugarcane arrears payable to growers and only Rs.5.90 crore are pending. The other major sugar producing States, such as Karnataka, have also paid 94 per cent dues to farmers, it said.
The Ministry said during the sugar season 2014-15, cane price arrears had peaked at Rs.21,800 crore in April 2015, which is now reduced to Rs.684 crore, adding that the Centre had been consistently monitoring the position of arrears and advising the State governments for their speedy liquidation.
During sugar season 2015-16, about 230 million tonnes of sugarcane was procured from the farmers by the sugar mills across the country.