Licences sought for boosting ethanol production from sugarcane in Karnataka

Sugarcane growers meet Sugar Minister in Mysuru and submit memorandum urging him to address their demands

Members of the State Sugarcane Growers’ Association on Wednesday met the Minister for Textiles, Sugar and Cane Development Shankar Patil Munenakoppa and urged him to clear the hurdles for ethanol production from sugarcane in the State and help farmers receive good prices for their produce.

Association President Kurubur Shanthkumar submitted a memorandum in this regard seeking the minister’s intervention on issues plaguing the growers and urged him for early remedy to the problems faced by the farmers.

Mr Shanthkumar said the government, as per the present policy, has been seeking NoC from the sugarcane factories if anybody plans to start ethanol production from sugarcane. “This rule must go as whoever comes forward to produce ethanol from sugarcane must acquire a licence so that growers can get a better price for their produce,” he argued.

As of now, only sugar factories are producing ethanol and the government can consider giving licences to others as well, he said.

He also sought health insurance cover for women working in garment factories. The textile units must provide the insurance cover to the workers for their emergency healthcare needs.

Mr Shanthkumar also sought health insurance cover for sugarcane growers and added that the government and the sugar factories must come forward to launch the health cover for growers, while suggesting that one rupee per ton of sugarcane can be deducted by the factories towards the cost of the insurance.

Mr Shanthkumar urged the Minister to bring in a law which will make it mandatory for the factories to make the payment to farmers with interest if the payment for sugarcane bought from them was delayed by 15 days.