New Delhi: Karnataka’s Sugar Minister Shankar Patil Munenakoppa said that the state government has received 44 applications seeking permission to set up new sugar mills, reports Deccan Herald.
The investors are keen in setting up sugar mills in Belgavi, Vijayapura, Bagalkot, Koppal and Dharwad districts.
“Since the basic licences for sugar factories have to be given by the Directorate of Sugarcane Development and Sugar, Government of Karnataka, we have started processing of these applications,” he said.
As many as 78 sugar mills are operating in the state with full capacity. Sugar mills in the state had crushed 622 lakh tonnes of sugarcane during last season while this year it is expected to touch 650 lakh tonnes, he said.
Karnataka is also working on a plan to increase ethanol production to lower the dependency on crude oil imports. The country’s third largest sugarcane-producing state is coming up with a new ethanol policy that will help farmers earn more profits.
Many companies are keen to invest in ethanol projects in state. Recently, Karnataka government had approved many ethanol projects to uplift the biofuel production.
