Modernisation project for Amaravathi Cooperative Sugar Mill moves forward

There has been perceptible forward movement of the proposal to modernise the Amaravathi Cooperative Sugar Mill.

A proposal readied by the Tamil Nadu Sugar Corporation Limited has been forwarded to the government through the Agriculture Production Commissioner, and is now under consideration of the Finance Department, according to official sources.

During his visit to Udumalpet last August, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin announced formation of an expert committee for the modernisation project. Cane farmers in the command area of the mill in Coimbatore, Tiruppur and Dindigul have been urging the government to expedite the project.

The committee visited the mill subsequently and recommended the modernisation. The mill management had sought sanction of ₹160 crore for replacement of old machinery that was discarded during 2023.

The mill continues to extract rectified spirit and ethanol by sourcing molasses from other mills. The mill currently has a stock of 4.38 lakh litres of rectified spirit. Ethanol production is set to commence, sources said.

The mill clocked sale of 42.50 lakh litres of rectified spirit to the value of ₹21.55 crore and 7.09 lakh litres of ethanol worth ₹3.71 crore during 2023-24.

In the absence of crushing over the last two years, a large chunk of farmers have diverted their cane to other mills, and one section has taken a plunge into the challenging task of jaggery production.

Recovery rate of sugarcane grown in the Western region of Tamil Nadu is the highest in the State at 11%, according to the farmers.

The Tamil Nadu Karumbu Vivasayigal Sangam is learnt to have urged the State government to set the modernisation process in motion before the Assembly polls.