Three days “Executive Development Programme” organized by National Sugar Institute, Kanpur on virtual platform commenced today. The programme is being attended by more than 100 senior officials from sugar factories, distilleries and manufacturing units from various sugar producing states of the country and abroad as well.
Inaugurating the programme, Shri Sudhanshu Pandey, Secretary (Food & Public Distribution), Government of India called upon the participants for developing an “out of box thinking” for exploiting the potential of entire sugarcane value chain. Setting up of ancillary units producing many value added products from by-products and waste shall bring new investments and create newer job opportunities thus brining prosperity in rural areas, he said.
Shri Subodh Kumar Singh, Joint Secretary (Sugar), Government of India in his address stressed upon converting so called “Waste to Resource” and for utilization of by-products in a better manner. Sugar Industry already has proved itself as regards ethanol blending is concerned. Thus, while carbon di-oxide from distillery fermenters, generally going waste, can be captured for use in other industries viz. beverage and fertilizer etc., even the ash from incineration boilers in molasses based distilleries can be a potential source for manufacture of potash rich fertilizers, he said. This will bring a win-win situation for the farmers and millers.
Shri Narendra Mohan, Director, National Sugar Institute stressed upon need for converting standalone sugar factories into “Agri Business Complexes” and presented various models of such complexes producing sugar-green energy-bio-chemicals. Model is to be chosen looking to availability of raw material, fuel and system economics. The model should be an “Atmanirbhar Model” where adequate raw material is available to commensurate with crushing capacity of sugar factory, diversion of feed stocks from sugar factory is to be regulated in such a manner to ensure operation of ethanol unit round the year and to have bagasse to meet requirement of sugar factory and distillery round the year, said Shri Narendra Mohan.
Dr. P Murali, Senior Scientist (Agronomics), Sugarcane Breeding Research Institute, Coimbatore addressed the participants on the topic “Value chain management and export opportunities in sweeteners”. Discussing about export avenues for value chain, he informed that Spreads & Sweeteners segment covers marmalade, chocolate, spreads, peanut butter, honey, sugar and artificial sweeteners. Revenue in the Spreads & Sweeteners segment is expected to value US$10.40 bn in 2022. In past 5 years Confectionery Store market witnessed a growth of 19.49% from which is higher than Indian GDP growth, he said.
During first day of the programme, presentations were also made by Dr. M.S. Sundaram, Director, JP Mukherjee & Associates on key attributes of project management and by Shri Vinay Kumar, Assistant Professor of Sugar Engineering, National Sugar Institute, Kanpur on energy saving potential in sugar industry.
