Ambala: Naraingarh Sugar Mills is grappling with a decline in sugarcane supply, raising concerns about meeting its crushing target and impacting farmer payments, reported Tribune India.

Instead of the daily requirement of 40,000 quintals, the mill has been receiving around 30,000 quintals, as several farmers have opted to deliver their produce to crushers and other mills.

Rajiv Sharma, a spokesperson for the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Charuni) and a sugarcane farmer from Naraingarh, expressed, “Last year, farmers became aware of the mills’ property attachment, leading to concerns about imminent closures. To prevent payment delays, numerous farmers have shifted to delivering their produce to crushers and alternative mills.”

According to available information, around 48.50 lakh quintals of sugarcane were crushed last year, and this year the mill aims to process around 50 lakh quintals. Currently, 35.50 lakh quintals of sugarcane have been processed, indicating a shortfall of around 2 lakh quintals compared to the previous year’s arrivals.