Coimbatore: Cane farmers in the command area in Coimbatore, Tiruppur and Dindigul districts have welcomed Chief Minister M.K. Stalin’s announcement of an expert committee to modernise the Amaravathi Cooperative Sugar Mill at Udumalpet, reported The Hindu.
The mill management has been awaiting government approval for a ₹160-crore proposal to revamp facilities and replace ageing machinery. The old machinery installed in 1955 had worn out and had to be discarded during 2023.The new committee will frame an action plan to revive cane crushing operations.
Farmers’ associations have been pressing for revival of cane crushing at the mill, pointing out that it offers an around 11% sugar recovery rate, the highest in the region. The Tamil Nadu Karumbu Vivasayigal Sangam has suggested modernising the unit with a crushing capacity of 2,500 tonnes per day. Farmers currently transport their cane to other mills, adding to their costs.
They have also urged the State to leverage loan facilities from the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) to strengthen cooperative sugar mills.
