Karnataka BJP leader Iranna B Kadadi on Friday appealed to the Centre to lower the sugar recovery rate from 10.25% to 9.5% and increase the minimum selling price (MSP) of sugar, aiming to benefit both sugarcane farmers and mills, reported PTI.
The sugar recovery rate refers to the proportion of sugar extracted from sugarcane.
Raising the matter during Zero Hour in the Rajya Sabha, Kadadi noted that the recovery rate in Karnataka is currently 9.5% and should be maintained at this level, even though the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) for sugarcane is set based on a higher recovery rate of 10.25%.
He also called for the FRP to be fixed without including harvesting and transportation costs.
“Since 2019, the minimum selling price of sugar has remained at just Rs 31 per kg and has not been revised. As a result, mills are reluctant to pay farmers more. With retail sugar prices at Rs 40 per kg, it is essential to raise the MSP,” Kadadi said.
He further highlighted that Karnataka produces approximately 270 crore litres of ethanol and stressed that the state should receive a higher allocation for marketing purposes.
Kadadi added that Karnataka has 81 operational sugar factories and ranks third in India’s sugar production, contributing 16% of the national output.
Around 7.5 lakh hectares of land in the state are under sugarcane cultivation, yielding roughly 45 lakh tonnes of sugar annually.
