Dharmapuri: Sugarcane farmers in Dharmapuri district have expressed concern over a decline in the quality of sugarcane cultivated on about 1,800 acres, attributing it to the delay in crushing operations at the Subramania Siva Cooperative Sugarcane Mill in Gopalapuram, which has prevented timely harvesting, reported The Times of India.
Despite favourable rainfall in recent years that expanded sugarcane cultivation, farmers say harvesting has been stalled due to the millâs delay and a shortage of sugarcane cutters. Farmers from Harur, Morappur and Pappireddipatty said they had registered more than 6,000 acres of sugarcane with the cooperative mill.
“Sugarcane has started to bloom due to frequent rain and mist. Its quality also started to diminish,” said G Venkatesh, a farmer.
He added that the harvest, which should have been completed by October, was delayed, leading to flowering in the standing crop. More than 1,800 acres of sugarcane fields near Nachinampatty in the Harur region are now in full bloom, he said. As a result of missing the optimal harvest period, the crop has begun to wilt, reducing juice content and causing financial losses to farmers.
