Ranipet: Sugarcane farmers in Ranipet have urged the authorities to reopen the Vellore Cooperative Sugar Mills without delay, saying the closure has left them unable to crush their harvested cane, causing crop damage and financial losses. The demand was raised during the monthly farmers’ grievance meeting held at the district collectorate on Friday, reports The New Indian Express.
R. Subhash, a farmer from Panapakkam, said that the Vellore Sugar Mills is among the few modern mills equipped for efficient processing, but its closure has created serious difficulties for growers in the region. He added that with Ambur Sugar Mills also non-functional and Tiruttani Sugar Mills burdened with excess stock, many farmers have been left with no option to process their harvests.
K. Sekharan, the official overseeing the Vellore Sugar Mills, said the mill is currently closed due to insufficient cane stock but is planned to reopen on December 19, when the harvest season peaks. He explained that the mill can crush up to 2,000 metric tonnes of sugarcane daily, but at present, there is only about 500 tonnes available. Running operations now, he said, would lead to financial losses.
Farmers also raised concerns about the shortage of direct purchase centres (DPCs) and storage godowns in the district, which they said were disrupting paddy procurement. They further complained about the lack of fertilizers such as urea, potassium, and diammonium phosphate (DAP) in cooperative societies, forcing them to buy from private shops at higher prices.
Responding to these grievances, an agricultural officer said that around 1,320 tonnes of urea were expected to arrive in the district by Friday evening, which would help address the shortage.
Farmers also brought up other issues, including the encroachment of canals and the delay in desilting works for canals and lakes across the district.
