Karnal: The Karnal Cooperative Sugar Mill has secured first prize at the national level for technical efficiency. The award was presented on July 3 at the annual National Efficiency Awards ceremony organized by the National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories (NFCSF), reports The Tribune.
Mill Managing Director Rajeev Prasad announced the achievement, noting that the recognition was a result of consistent performance and operational excellence. Officials from the mill and members of its board of directors received the award.
Prasad said the mill began its 2023–24 crushing season on November 15, 2023, and completed operations without any interruption by April 11, 2024. During this period, the mill crushed 49.34 lakh quintals of sugarcane and produced 4.90 lakh quintals of sugar.
To improve convenience for farmers, the mill introduced an online token system, allowing farmers to generate tokens themselves and place them on their sugarcane trolleys. Two helpline numbers—9034165736 and 9034165436—were also set up to assist farmers during the season. Prasad said the system has been running smoothly.
Highlighting the mill’s farmer-friendly approach, he said that trolleys were unloaded within two to three hours, ensuring farmers could return home promptly. All payments for the current season have been cleared, with most farmers receiving payment within two to three days of delivery.
The mill also operates an 18 MW co-generation power plant, which generated 351.38 lakh kilowatt hours of electricity during the crushing season. This brought in an additional revenue of Rs 22.31 crore, strengthening the mill’s financial position.
To further support farmers, the mill provided overnight accommodation and tea facilities at the cane yard. Additionally, it runs the ‘Atal Mazdoor Kisan Canteen’, where meals are served to farmers at a nominal cost of just Rs 10.
