Of the total of 63 sugar mills in cooperative and private sectors in the State, 57 mills owe a sum of Rs. 3,094.08 crore to the sugarcane growers for the 2014-15 season as on April 30.
The sugarcane prices are being paid as per the Fair and Remunerative Price announced by the government. The total sugarcane crushed by these 63 mills was 4,38,87,996 metric tonnes and the sugar production stood at 48,52,023 MT until April 30.
As per the information available from the Cane Development & Director of Sugar, only six sugar mills have no outstanding balance as they had made full payment for the sugarcane they procured from the growers during the season. These mills were: Bannari Amman Sugars, Nanjangud; Karnataka Sugars (leased to G.M. Sugars), Haveri; Dhanalaxmi Sugars (leased to Parrys Sugar Industries), Haliyal; Soubhagyalakshmi Sugars, Gokak Shamnur Sugars, Davangere and Sadashiva Sugars, Bagalkot.
Some of the major factories in Belagavi district that have higher outstanding dues to the growers are Ugar Sugars, Ugarkhurd, Athani taluk (Rs. 149.70 crore) and Athani Farmers Sugar Factory, Athani taluk (Rs.126.90 crore).
Sugar recovery
The average sugar recovery achieved by 63 sugar mills — two in public sector, 13 in co-operative sector, seven in the cooperative sector leased to other factories and 41 in private sector — accounted for 11.06 per cent. Eleven mills have achieved more than 12 per cent — Parrys Sugars 12.53 per cent, Venkatehswar Power Project 12.51 per cent, Someshwara Sugars 12.37 per cent, Prabhulingeshwar Sugars 12.45 per cent, Nandi Sugars 12.19 per cent, Dhanalakshmi Sugars 12.17 per cent, Laila Sugars 12.15 per cent, Jamkhandi Sugars 12.08 per cent, Doodhsagar Krishna Sugars 12.05 per cent, Bilagi Sugars 12.04 per cent and Malaprabha Sugars 12.01 per cent.
The mills which achieved lowest recovery of 7.37 per cent and 7.92 per cent are Mysore Sugars and Pandavapura Sugars.
